Epidural stimulation of the cervical spinal cord improves voluntary motor control in post-stroke upper limb paresis

Abstract

SUMMARYA large proportion of cerebral strokes disrupt descending commands from motor cortical areas to the spinal cord which can results in permanent motor deficits of the arm and hand1,2. However, below the lesion, the spinal circuits that control movement5 remain intact and could be targeted by neurotechnologies to restore movement6–9. Here we demonstrate that by engaging spinal circuits with targeted electrical stimulation we immediately improved voluntary motor control in two participants with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis. We implanted a pair of 8-contact percutaneous epidural leads on the lateral aspect of the cervical spinal cord to selectively target the dorsal roots that provide excitatory inputs to motoneurons controlling the arm and hand10,11. With this strategy, we obtained independent activation of shoulder, elbow and hand muscles. Continuous stimulation through selected contacts at specific frequencies enabled participants to perform movements that they had been unable to perform for many years. Overall, stimulation improved strength, kinematics, and functional performance. Unexpectedly, both participants retained some of these improvements even without stimulation, suggesting that spinal cord stimulation could be a restorative as well as an assistive approach for upper limb recovery after stroke.