FURI | Spring 2020

Development of a Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Control System For Hand Muscle Therapy

Health icon, disabled. A red heart with a cardiac rhythm running through it.

Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) have healthy muscle cells but the communication between the muscle and brain has been lost. Muscles that are paralyzed or partially paralyzed can be repeatedly activated through electrical stimulation. Repetitive contraction can encourage motor relearning by reorganizing the neural circuits that control the hand. The goal of this project is to develop a Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) control system that automatically adjusts and provides electrical stimulation to the hand muscles to accomplish a grasping motion to provide a method of therapy and exercise for people with SCI.