Recovery of sensory and supraspinal control of leg movement in people with chronic paraplegia: a case series.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil
; 95(4): 610-4, 2014 Apr.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24269993
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To report on unexpected findings in 4 patients with chronic paraplegia who underwent the laparoscopic implantation of neuroprosthesis procedure in the pelvic lumbosacral nerves.DESIGN:
Observational case series.SETTING:
Tertiary referral unit specialized in advanced gynecological surgery and neuropelveology.PARTICIPANTS:
Three patients with incomplete American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) grade B (n=2) and AIS grade C (n=1) spinal cord injury (SCI) and 1 patient with flaccid complete chronic SCI (AIS grade A) (n=1). INTERVENTION Functional electrical stimulation (FES)-assisted locomotor training and continuous low-frequency pelvic-lumbosacral neuromodulation. MAIN OUTCOMEMEASURES:
Change in ASIA Lower Extremity Motor Scores, ASIA sensory scores for light touch and pinprick sensation, and Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury scores.RESULTS:
All 4 patients developed progressive recovery of some sensory and voluntary motor functions below the lesions. Three are currently capable of voluntary weight-bearing standing and walking a few meters with a walker without FES. The first patient with the longest follow-up is even capable of electrically assisted standing/walking with 2 crutches without braces or assistance for a distance of about 900 meters, and of weight-bearing standing and walking for 30 meters with a walker without stimulation.CONCLUSIONS:
We report unexpected sensory and locomotor recovery in 4 people with paraplegia with SCI. Our findings suggest that FES-assisted locomotor training with continuous low-frequency pelvic nerve stimulation in patients with SCI may induce changes that affect the central pattern generator and allow supra- and infraspinal inputs to engage residual spinal pathways.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Paraplejía
/
Sensación
/
Terapia por Estimulación Eléctrica
/
Recuperación de la Función
/
Electrodos Implantados
/
Locomoción
Tipo de estudio:
Observational_studies
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Arch Phys Med Rehabil
Año:
2014
Tipo del documento:
Article