Corticomuscular Connectivity during Walking in Able Bodied and Individuals with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Cortico-muscular connectivity (CMC) is crucial for motor control.
• Exoskeleton walking robot (EWR) assistance is a promising rehabilitation tool for individuals with spinal cord injury (iSCI).
• Understanding CMC changes during EWR-assisted walking in iSCI is essential for optimizing training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate CMC during EWR-assisted walking in able-bodied (AB) individuals and iSCI.
• To explore the impact of intensive EWR training on CMC in iSCI.
• To correlate CMC with walking function and EWR assistance levels in iSCI.

Main Methods:

• Used electroencephalography (EEG) as a mobile imaging method to assess CMC.
• Compared CMC during walking with and without EWR assistance in AB and iSCI groups.
• Assessed changes in CMC after 40 hours of intensive EWR-assisted walking training in iSCI.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in CMC was observed in AB individuals with or without EWR assistance.
• iSCI subjects exhibited lower CMC during EWR-assisted walking before training.
• Intensive EWR training improved walking function in iSCI, allowing for lower assistance levels, which correlated with increased CMC.

Conclusions:

• High EWR assistance levels and impaired walking function in iSCI are associated with reduced CMC.
• EWR-assisted training can enhance CMC and improve walking function in iSCI.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the role of intention and cortical involvement in EWR-based gait rehabilitation.