Utility and Feasibility of Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation for Patients With Incomplete SCI in Therapeutic Settings: A Review of Topic

Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation (TSCS) enhances the excitability of spinal neural circuits, which is associated with enhanced voluntary performance in patients with incomplete SCI (iSCI). Combining this altered state of exciability with therapy has the potential to enhance the outcomes associated with activity-based interventions. TSCS represents a promising, clinically useful adjunct to existing physical rehabilitation interventions, without the risk and accessibility issues associated with surgical implantation for eSCS. This article will examine current literature related to the application of TSCS in combination with therapeutic interventions for motor recovery and aims to elucidate trends in waveform selection, duration and frequency, and combinatorial therapies that may inform clinical practice.

• 1
  TSCS, both in single sessions and repeated applications, is associated with improved standing postural control, gait kinematics, and upper extremity function.
• 2
  Following TSCS and training, participants with chronic SCI demonstrated recovered ability to maintain upright standing with minimal to no external assistance.
• 3
  Grip strength and functional dexterity show improvement with TSCS and, in several cases, improvements are shown to be durable over time without continued stimulation.