Attiah Mark A, de Vries Julius, Richardson Andrew G, Lucas Timothy H
Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA, USA.
Front Neurosci. 2017 Apr 5;11:193. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00193. eCollection 2017.
Facial paralysis can be a devastating condition, causing disfiguring facial droop, slurred speech, eye dryness, scarring and blindness. This study investigated the utility of closed-loop functional electric stimulation (FES) for reanimating paralyzed facial muscles in a quantitative rodent model. The right buccal and marginal mandibular branches of the rat facial nerve were transected for selective, unilateral paralysis of whisker muscles. Microwire electrodes were implanted bilaterally into the facial musculature for FES and electromyographic (EMG) recording. With the rats awake and head-fixed, whisker trajectories were tracked bilaterally with optical micrometers. First, the relationship between EMG and volitional whisker movement was quantified on the intact side of the face. Second, the effect of FES on whisker trajectories was quantified on the paralyzed side. Third, closed-loop experiments were performed in which the EMG signal on the intact side triggered FES on the paralyzed side to restore symmetric whisking. The results demonstrate a novel platform for developing control strategies for neuromuscular facial prostheses.
面瘫可能是一种极具破坏性的病症，会导致面部变形下垂、言语不清、眼睛干涩、瘢痕形成甚至失明。本研究在定量啮齿动物模型中，探究了闭环功能性电刺激（FES）对面瘫面部肌肉进行复苏的效用。切断大鼠面神经的右侧颊支和下颌缘支，以选择性地造成单侧触须肌麻痹。将微丝电极双侧植入面部肌肉组织，用于FES和肌电图（EMG）记录。在大鼠清醒且头部固定的状态下，用光学测微计双侧跟踪触须轨迹。首先，在面部完整侧量化EMG与随意性触须运动之间的关系。其次，在麻痹侧量化FES对触须轨迹的影响。第三，进行闭环实验，其中完整侧的EMG信号触发麻痹侧的FES，以恢复对称的触须运动。结果证明了一种用于开发神经肌肉面部假体控制策略的新型平台。
