Muscle Delay Characterization

Neurological Disorders Clinical Trial

Official title: Characterizing the Delayed Muscle Response to Electrical Stimulation

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) induced cycling is a common rehabilitative therapy. Closed-loop FES control holds the promise to improve rehabilitation procedures. However, FES results in a delay between the time of stimulation and muscle contraction and rapidly fatigues muscle. The purpose of this study is to measure the FES-induced delay on an FES cycle and to understand how the delay varies as a function of how long the user has been cycling and a function of the crank angle.

Clinical Trial Description

This study will use non-invasive approaches (surface electrodes, encoders, torque meters, motors) to study muscle delay and how muscle fatigues for both individuals possessing movement disorders and healthy individuals. Individuals with movement disorders are often susceptible to partial or total paralysis. This paralysis often leads to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. By implementing the intelligent closed-loop control of FES-cycling, FES-therapy can be made more effective, combating the effects of sedentary lifestyles. Using data obtained from non-invasive sensors, the study team will apply analytical techniques to quantify FES muscle delay and how well individuals can track a desired cadence as the muscle fatigues. A challenge associated with FES-induced cycling is that there exists a delay between the time when FES is applied and the time when the muscle contracts. There is likewise a delay between the time FES is removed and the time the muscle ceases to contract. Previous studies have measured this delay and determined that it varies with fatigue. A goal of this project is to measure this delay on an FES-cycle and to determine how this delay varies as a result of FES-induced cycling. Another goal is to determine what effect the crank angle has on the delay as well as on the muscle control effectiveness. This study will provide insight into how engineering can be combined with healthcare and therapy to better both fields and bridge the gap between engineering and medicine. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Nervous System Diseases
• Neurological Disorders

• NCT number: NCT04094571
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of Florida
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: October 1, 2019
• Completion date: September 3, 2021