Project description
Enhancing motor capabilities in children with paralysed hand
Researchers have identified single motor neuron activity in individuals with spinal cord injury and stroke. These remaining motor neurons can be precisely controlled, which allows the extraction of hand movement for up to four degrees of freedom. With this in mind, the ERC-funded PlayAgain project will develop a soft neuroorthosis to aid in small hand movements for children, along with a stretchable, wireless electromyography bracelet. Using pilot data from toddlers with paralysed hands but some residual muscle activity, the project will develop a minimally invasive interface that decodes their motor intentions during play and connects to the neuroorthosis. An integrated exergame will provide real-time neurofeedback to engage movement of the paralysed hand, thereby enhancing motor capabilities by utilising spared motor neuron activity. Ultimately, PlayAgain seeks to advance paediatric neurorehabilitation.
Objective
We have recently identified single motor neuron activity in humans with spinal cord injury and stroke resulting in complete loss of hand function. We have then demonstrated that these individuals can control with high levels of precision the spared motor neurons ensemble in real-time, up to four degrees of freedom of the hand. We have now collected pilot data in children (<4 years old) with a completely paralyzed hand and we also found spared electromyographic activity when the children were playing with an instrumented toy. We developed a new stretchable wireless high-density EMG bracelet tailored forearm of children <3 years old, and also developed a new soft-neuroorthosis to control the small hand of the children. In this proof-of-concept project, we aim to develop a minimally invasive neuromotoric interface for children with paralyzed hands after pediatric stroke and or hemispherotomy. We will develop a system to decode the motor intention of the paralyzed children during gaming activities and associate the spared motor neuron discharge times to a wearable neuroorthosis. We have already demonstrated that our innovative neural controlled orthosis can comfortably move the hand of two paralyzed children. By leveraging the spared motor neuron output and the connection with the proposed neurorthosis, we aim to develop a new neurorehabilitation system for children, that is synchrony with the actual intended movement that are still spared after the neural lesions. This bidirectional neural interface will engage and monitor the remaining neural pathways at the cellular level, with the goal of enhancing and transforming the activity of spared motor neurons into highly functional motor capacities. By leveraging these advanced technologies, we aim to open new research and commercial avenues in paediatric neurorehabilitation and also to answer fundamental questions in movement neuroscience related to pediatric stroke or hemispherotomy.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology stroke
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Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-POC
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91058 ERLANGEN
Germany
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