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Six‐Month Assessment of a Hand Prosthesis with Intraneural Tactile Feedback
Author(s) -
Petrini Francesco M.,
Valle Giacomo,
Strauss Ivo,
Granata Giuseppe,
Di Iorio Riccardo,
D'Anna Edoardo,
Čvančara Paul,
Mueller Matthias,
Carpaneto Jacopo,
Clemente Francesco,
Controzzi Marco,
Bisoni Lorenzo,
Carboni Caterina,
Barbaro Massimo,
Iodice Francesco,
Andreu David,
Hiairrassary Arthur,
Divoux JeanLouis,
Cipriani Christian,
Guiraud David,
Raffo Luigi,
Fernandez Eduardo,
Stieglitz Thomas,
Raspopovic Stanisa,
Rossini Paolo M.,
Micera Silvestro
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.25384
Subject(s) - phantom limb , neuroprosthetics , physical medicine and rehabilitation , prosthesis , medicine , sensory system , amputation , sensory stimulation therapy , sensory substitution , usability , phantom pain , psychology , computer science , surgery , human–computer interaction , neuroscience
Objective Hand amputation is a highly disabling event, which significantly affects quality of life. An effective hand replacement can be achieved if the user, in addition to motor functions, is provided with the sensations that are naturally perceived while grasping and moving. Intraneural peripheral electrodes have shown promising results toward the restoration of the sense of touch. However, the long‐term usability and clinical relevance of intraneural sensory feedback have not yet been clearly demonstrated. Methods To this aim, we performed a 6‐month clinical study with 3 transradial amputees who received implants of transverse intrafascicular multichannel electrodes (TIMEs) in their median and ulnar nerves. After calibration, electrical stimulation was delivered through the TIMEs connected to artificial sensors in the digits of a prosthesis to generate sensory feedback, which was then used by the subjects while performing different grasping tasks. Results All subjects, notwithstanding their important clinical differences, reported stimulation‐induced sensations from the phantom hand for the whole duration of the trial. They also successfully integrated the sensory feedback into their motor control strategies while performing experimental tests simulating tasks of real life (with and without the support of vision). Finally, they reported a decrement of their phantom limb pain and a general improvement in mood state. Interpretation The promising results achieved with all subjects show the feasibility of the use of intraneural stimulation in clinical settings. ANN NEUROL 2019;85:137–154.