Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Jul 18, 2022
Date Accepted: Jul 21, 2022
Neurorehabilitation through Synergistic Man-Machine Interfaces Promoting Dormant Neuroplasticity in Spinal Cord Injury: Protocol for a Non-Randomized Controlled Trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) constitutes a major sociomedical problem, affecting approximately 0.32-0.64 million people each year worldwide, affecting young individuals and causing long-term, often irreversible disability. While effective rehabilitation of SCI patients remains a significant challenge, novel neural engineering technologies have emerged to target and promote dormant neuroplasticity in the central nervous system.
Objective:
To develop, pilot test and optimize a platform based on multiple immersive man-machine interfaces offering rich feedback, that include (a) visual motor imagery training under high-density electroencephalographic recording, (b) mountable robotic arms controlled with wireless brain-computer interface (BCI), (c) a body machine interface (BMI) consisting of wearable robotics jacket & gloves in combination with a serious game (SG) application and (d) an augmented reality module. The platform will be used to validate a self-paced neuro-rehabilitation intervention and to study cortical activity in chronic complete and incomplete SCI at the cervical spine.
Methods:
A three-phase pilot study was designed to evaluate the NeuroSuitUp platform, including chronic cervical SCI patients with complete and incomplete injury over 14 years old and age/sex matched healthy participants. Outcome measures include BCI control and performance in the BMI-SG module, as well as improvement of functional independence, while also monitoring neuropsychological parameters such as kinesthetic imagery, motivation, self-esteem, depression and anxiety, and also mental effort, discomfort and perception of robotics.
Results:
A preliminary analysis of collected data during pilot testing of BMI-SG by healthy participants showed that the platform was considered easy to use, causing no discomfort and the robotics were perceived positively by the participants.Chronic SCI is characterized by irreversible disability affecting functional independence. NeuroSuitUp could provide a valuable complementary platform for training in immersive rehabilitation methods in order to promote dormant neural plasticity.
Conclusions:
Chronic SCI is characterized by irreversible disability affecting functional independence. NeuroSuitUp could provide a valuable complementary platform for training in immersive rehabilitation methods in order to promote dormant neural plasticity. Clinical Trial: NCT05465486
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