Breakthrough gives spinal injury sufferers a standing start

Published: 17 January 2003

Engineers from Glasgow University enable paralysed people to stand up for significant periods without holding an external support.

For the first time, engineers have enabled paralysed people to stand up and balance for significant periods without holding an external support. This is an important breakthrough in helping individuals with spinal cord injuries to start standing again for useful lengths of time ヨ up to seven minutes have been achieved in experiments.

The cutting-edge research project that achieved this advance was carried out by the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Glasgow with funding from the Swindon based Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

The project focused on the development and evaluation of techniques that use low levels of pulsed electrical current to stimulate the nerves that control muscle movement. The current replaces signals from the brain, which do not reach the nerves on account of the spinal cord injury. This electrical stimulation makes the paralysed muscle contract and partially restores lost body functions.

The initiative has built on earlier work by the same research team ヨ an acknowledged leader in the field and the first to demonstrate, in practice, unsupported standing for paraplegics. The challenge was to allow spinally-injured people to stand in a stable fashion for significant periods of time, without having to hold on to a frame or walker. The team has achieved this by stimulating the muscles controlling the ankle by an amount directly related to the person's standing posture. For example, if the person leans further forward, the stimulation is automatically increased to push them back to a more upright position. This approach is known as feedback control.

The team is led by Professor Ken Hunt, Head of the University's Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering. The research was carried out in close collaboration with the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital. Professor Hunt says: 'Enabling spinally-injured people to stand again and remain balanced for this amount of time represents major progress. This has never been achieved before in experiments with human subjects'.

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This research project received funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) of ?191,000. It was one of seven EPSRC grants awarded to the Glasgow team for projects aiming to restore lost function to paralysed individuals through robust feedback control of electrical stimulation systems.

The EPSRC is the UK?s main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests more than ?400 million a year in research and postgraduate training to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and from mathematics to materials science.

This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements in everyone?s health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC also actively promotes public awareness of science and engineering. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK. Website address for more information on EPSRC: EPSRC

For more information, contact:

Professor Ken Hunt, University of Glasgow, Tel: 0141 330 4340, E-mail: k.hunt@mech.gla.ac.uk, website: CRE or Press Office on 0141 330 3535. An image is available from the University Press Office For further information on EPSRC, contact Jane Reck, EPSRC Press Officer, Tel: 01793 444312, E-mail: jane.reck@epsrc.ac.uk

First published: 17 January 2003

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