Scientists at .Neurorestore (EPFL/CHUV/UNIL)* have developed an approach that combines rehabilitation robotics with spinal cord stimulation (via an implanted neuroprosthesis) to restore movement in people with spinal cord injuries.
While existing rehabilitation robotics — devices that guide movement during therapy — have improved training for those with spinal cord injuries, their effectiveness remains limited. Unlike traditional functional electrical stimulation, this new method activates motor neurons more efficiently by mimicking natural nerve signals thereby retraining the nervous system.
In a proof-of-concept study involving five individuals with spinal cord injuries, the new technique resulted in immediate and sustained muscle activation. Not only did participants regain the ability to engage muscles during robotic-assisted therapy, but some also improved their voluntary movements even after the stimulation was turned off.
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EPFL – École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
CHUV – Lausanne University Hospital
UNIL – University of Lausanne