title: Multi-contact functional electrical stimulation for hand opening: electrophysiologically driven identification of the optimal stimulation site.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is increasingly applied in neurorehabilitation. Particularly, the use of electrode arrays may allow for selective muscle recruitment. However, detecting the best electrode configuration constitutes still a challenge.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multi-contact set-up with thirty electrodes was applied for combined FES and electromyography (EMG) recording of the forearm. A search procedure scanned all electrode configurations by applying single, sub-threshold stimulation pulses while recording M-waves of the extensor digitorum communis (EDC), extensor carpi radialis (ECR) and extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) muscles. The electrode contacts with the best electrophysiological response were then selected for stimulation with FES bursts while capturing finger/wrist extension and radial/ulnar deviation with a kinematic glove.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The stimulation electrodes chosen on the basis of M-waves of the EDC/ECR/ECU muscles were able to effectively elicit the respective finger/wrist movements for the targeted extension and/or deviation with high specificity in two different hand postures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A subset of functionally relevant stimulation electrodes could be selected fast, automatic and non-painful from a multi-contact array on the basis of muscle responses to subthreshold stimulation pulses. The selectivity of muscle recruitment predicted the kinematic pattern. This electrophysiologically driven approach would thus allow for an operator-independent positioning of the electrode array in neurorehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Eberhard Karls University, Otfried-Mueller-Str.45, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. cristiano.demarchis@uniroma3.it.|Neuroprosthetics Research, Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany. cristiano.demarchis@uniroma3.it.|Laboratory of Bioengineering BioLab3, Department of Engineering, University Roma TRE, Via Vito Volterra 62, 00146, Rome, Italy. cristiano.demarchis@uniroma3.it.
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Marchis
authors.affiliation: Division of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Eberhard Karls University, Otfried-Mueller-Str.45, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.|Neuroprosthetics Research, Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thiago
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Santos Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Division of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Eberhard Karls University, Otfried-Mueller-Str.45, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.|Neuroprosthetics Research, Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simon-Martinez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioengineering BioLab3, Department of Engineering, University Roma TRE, Via Vito Volterra 62, 00146, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Conforto
authors.affiliation: Division of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Eberhard Karls University, Otfried-Mueller-Str.45, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. alireza.gharabaghi@uni-tuebingen.de.|Neuroprosthetics Research, Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany. alireza.gharabaghi@uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gharabaghi
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods*; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D000066530:Neurological Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*