Functional Electrical Stimulation for Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation at the University of Virginia and Duke University

Abstract

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) has applications in spinal cord injury to help restore function to patients with quadriplegic hands or paraplegic legs. Early experiences at the University of Virginia and Duke University are presented. Further progress has been obtained at multiple centers with computerized stimulation, miniaturization of components, and mind/machine interfacing. Knowledge gained from the early projects led to the concept of electrical stimulation of the median nerve to hasten awakening from coma.