Spinal cord injury leads to long-lasting motor impairment and paralysis that currently is not curable. Electrical spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is beginning to be used as a neuromodulation technique to re-enable movement of paralyzed areas, however the mechanisms of neurorecovery induced by electrical neuromodulation of the spinal cord remain poorly understood. The goal of this project is to generate evidence-based knowledge of changes in the short-term excitability of corticospinal and reticulospinal neural structures that may mediate immediate improvements in motor function enabled by SCS. The proposed study will: (1) determine which kinds of SCS-facilitated movements are mediated by the corticospinal tract. (2) determine which kinds of SCS-facilitated movements are mediated by the reticulospinal tract. Having a better understanding of the neural mechanisms that are enhanced by SCS can allow the development of therapies that directly target the excitability and plasticity states of these structures towards improved and accelerated recovery.
Spinal cord injury leads to long-lasting paralysis and impairment. Re-enabling movement of paralyzed areas is challenging and more information is needed about neurological recovery. The purpose of this study is to understand the contribution of individual neural tracts to movements facilitated by transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (SCS).