Artificial sensorimotor integration in spinal cord injured subjects through neuromuscular and electrotactile stimulation

Spinal cord injured (SCI) subjects lack sensorimotor functions. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) systems have been used to artificially restore motor functions, but without proprioceptive feedback, SCI subjects can control NMES systems only when they can see their limbs. In a gait restoration system, the subject looks down to the ground to be aware of where his foot is while in a grasping activity, maximum grip strength is employed regardless of the force that is required to perform tasks. This report focuses on artificial sensorimotor integration. Multichannel stimulation was used to restore motor functions while encoded tactile sensation (moving fused phantom images) relating to artificially generated movements was provided by electrotactile stimulation during walking and grasping activities. The results showed that the sensorimotor integration attained yielded both the recognition of artificial grasp force patterns and a technique to be used by paraplegics allowing spatial awareness of their limb while walking.