Advances in selective activation of muscles for non-invasive motor neuroprostheses.
Non-invasive neuroprosthetic (NP) technologies for movement compensation and rehabilitation remain with challenges for their clinical application. Two of those major challenges are selective activation of muscles and fatigue management. This review discusses how electrode arrays improve the efficiency and selectivity of functional electrical stimulation (FES) applied via transcutaneous electrodes. In this paper we review the principles and achievements during the last decade on techniques for artificial motor unit recruitment to improve the selective activation of muscles. We review the key factors affecting the outcome of muscle force production via multi-pad transcutaneous electrical stimulation and discuss how stimulation parameters can be set to optimize external activation of body segments. A detailed review of existing electrode array systems proposed by different research teams is also provided. Furthermore, a review of the targeted applications of existing electrode arrays for control of upper and lower limb NPs is provided. Eventually, last section demonstrates the potential of electrode arrays to overcome the major challenges of NPs for compensation and rehabilitation of patient-specific impairments.
Neural Rehabilitation Group, Cajal Institute, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain. aikaterini.koutsou@csic.es.
Aikaterini D
AD
Koutsou
Neural Rehabilitation Group, Cajal Institute, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain.
Juan C
JC
Moreno
National Hospital for Spinal Cord Injury, Toledo, Spain.
Antonio J
AJ
Del Ama
Neural and Cognitive Engineering group, Centro de Automática y Robótica, CAR, Spanish National Research Council, CSIC-UPM, Madrid, Spain.
Eduardo
E
Rocon
Neural Rehabilitation Group, Cajal Institute, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain.
José L
JL
Pons
D004566:Electrodes; D006801:Humans; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D011999:Recruitment, Neurophysiological / Q000502:physiology; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
Multi-pad electrodes; Muscle fatigue; Muscle selectivity; Neuroprosthesis; sFES