IEEE Trans Biomed Eng, 2013 · DOI: 10.1109/TBME.2013.2245128 · Published: March 1, 2013
Neurotechnology is advancing, offering interfaces to the nervous system that can restore function in paralytic disorders, enabling both voluntary function and reanimating movement through muscle activation. Restoration of function can be achieved through neuroplasticity, especially when neural circuits are retained after injuries like spinal cord injury and stroke, while neural prostheses can restore movement, bladder/bowel control, and respiration when voluntary neural control is lost. Electrical stimulation is key, whether to restore latent circuits or as a neuroprosthetic to activate paralyzed tissue below the injury level; hybrid approaches combining functional recovery and restoration offer the most promising path to achieving full functional restoration.
Novel technologies that interface with the nervous system play a critical role in addressing the need to deliver meaningful solutions integrated into daily life, enhancing independence and quality of life for users with paralysis.
Future clinical advances necessitate a better understanding of underlying mechanisms and more precise neural interfaces, allowing for specific and reliable control of individual nerve fibers or groups of nerve fibers.
Combining regeneration and neural plasticity to maximize voluntary activity, along with neural prostheses to augment this activity to functional performance levels, is likely the most effective means for restoring function.