Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Restoration of Over-Ground Walking via Non-invasive Neuromodulation Therapy

Monzurul Alam
* ORCID logo ,
Yan To Ling
ORCID logo ,
Md Akhlasur Rahman
ORCID logo ,
Arnold Yu Lok Wong
ORCID logo ,
Hui Zhong
,
V. Reggie Edgerton
ORCID logo ,
Yong-Ping Zheng
ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 28 September 2023 / Approved: 28 September 2023 / Online: 28 September 2023 (06:28:20 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Alam, M.; Ling, Y.T.; Rahman, M.A.; Wong, A.Y.L.; Zhong, H.; Edgerton, V.R.; Zheng, Y.-P. Restoration of Over-Ground Walking via Non-Invasive Neuromodulation Therapy: A Single-Case Study. J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12, 7362. Alam, M.; Ling, Y.T.; Rahman, M.A.; Wong, A.Y.L.; Zhong, H.; Edgerton, V.R.; Zheng, Y.-P. Restoration of Over-Ground Walking via Non-Invasive Neuromodulation Therapy: A Single-Case Study. J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12, 7362.

Abstract

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) can result in sensory and motor dysfunctions, which were long-considered permanent. Recent advancement in electrical neuromodulation has been proven to restore sensorimotor function in people with SCI. These stimulation protocols, however, were mostly invasive, expensive, and difficult to implement. In this study, transcutaneous electrical stimulation (tES) was used to restore over-ground walking of an individual with 21 years of chronic paralysis from a cervical SCI. After a total of 66 weeks of rehabilitation training with tES, which included standing, functional reaching, reclined sit-up, treadmill walking and active biking, significant improvement in lower-limb volitional movements and overall light touch sensation were shown by International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) score. By the end of the study, the participant could walk in a 4-meter walking test with the aid of a walking frame and ankle foot orthoses. The success in the sensorimotor recovery of our study participant sheds light on the future of non-invasive neuromodulation treatment for SCI paralysis.

Keywords

chronic spinal cord injury; sensorimotor rehabilitation; transcutaneous electrical stimulation; neuromodulation; over-ground walking

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Neuroscience and Neurology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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