Sheshadri Swathi, Kortelainen Jukka, Nag Sudip, Ng Kian Ann, Bazley Faith A, Michoud Frederic, Patil Anoop, Orellana Josue, Libedinsky Camilo, Lahiri Amitabha, Chan Louiza, Chng Keefe, Cutrone Annarita, Bossi Silvia, Thakor Nitish V, Delgado-Martinez Ignacio, Yen Shih-Cheng
Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2014;2014:2314-7. doi: 10.1109/EMBC.2014.6944083.
Neuroprosthetic devices that interface with the nervous system to restore functional motor activity offer a viable alternative to nerve regeneration, especially in proximal nerve injuries like brachial plexus injuries where muscle atrophy may set in before nerve re-innervation occurs. Prior studies have used control signals from muscle or cortical activity. However, nerve signals are preferred in many cases since they permit more natural and precise control when compared to muscle activity, and can be accessed with much lower risk than cortical activity. Identification of nerve signals that control the appropriate muscles is essential for the development of such a `bionic link'. Here we examine the correlation between muscle and nerve signals responsible for hand grasping in the M. fascicularis. Simultaneous recordings were performed using a 4-channel thin-film longitudinal intra-fascicular electrode (tf-LIFE) and 9 bipolar endomysial muscle electrodes while the animal performed grasping movements. We were able to identify a high degree of correlation (r > 0.6) between nerve signals from the median nerve and movement-dependent muscle activity from the flexor muscles of the forearm, with a delay that corresponded to 25 m/s nerve conduction velocity. The phase of the flexion could be identified using a wavelet approximation of the ENG. This result confirms this approach for a future neuroprosthetic device for the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries.
与神经系统对接以恢复功能性运动活动的神经假体装置为神经再生提供了一种可行的替代方案，尤其是在诸如臂丛神经损伤之类的近端神经损伤中，在神经再支配发生之前可能就会出现肌肉萎缩。先前的研究使用来自肌肉或皮层活动的控制信号。然而，在许多情况下，神经信号更受青睐，因为与肌肉活动相比，它们能实现更自然、精确的控制，而且获取时的风险比皮层活动低得多。识别控制合适肌肉的神经信号对于这种“仿生连接”的开发至关重要。在此，我们研究了猕猴中负责手部抓握的肌肉与神经信号之间的相关性。在动物进行抓握动作时，使用4通道薄膜纵向束内电极（tf-LIFE）和9个双极肌内膜肌肉电极进行同步记录。我们能够确定正中神经的神经信号与前臂屈肌的运动相关肌肉活动之间存在高度相关性（r > 0.6），延迟时间对应于25米/秒的神经传导速度。可以使用ENG的小波近似来识别屈曲阶段。这一结果证实了这种方法可用于未来治疗周围神经损伤的神经假体装置。
