Session organizers: Thomas Sinkjaer, Ph.D. and Dejan Popovic, Ph.D., Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Denmark

Date and Time: TBA

Plasticity of the central nervous system has been recognized as a part of the structural and physiological substrate for the recovery of function after a central nervous system injury. In some subjects the regular use of electrical stimulation can strengthen the weakened cortico-spinal connections so that the subjects can better perform a movement following nerve stimulation. This experimental treatment is termed: Functional Electrical Therapy (FET).

The scope of this session is to present new FET technologies on pattern nerve stimulation that can improve motor functions in CNS injured patients outlasting the time of stimulation.

Recognized scientists will present results on new stimulation methods, clinical experiences with FET, and our current understanding of how FET affects the CNS.

Program:
“Technologies to impose movement by pattern nerve stimulation”
By Milos Popovic, Ph.D. Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada
milos.popovic@utoronto.ca

“Electrical stimulation augmented rehabilitation of hemiparetic gait”
By Nazarena Mazzaro, Ph.D. Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction, Aalborg University, Denmark
nmazzaro@hst.aau.dk

“Upper extremity electrical stimulation for recovery of function post-stroke”
By Thierry Keller, Dr. sc. Techn., Automatic Control Laboratory, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
kellert@control.ee.ethz.ch

“Modulation in spinal circuits and corticospinal connections following nerve stimulation and operant conditioning”
By Aiko Thompson, Ph.D. Laboratory of Nervous SystemDisorders, New York State Department of Health and State University of New York
athompso@wadsworth.org

“Combined peripheral and cortical neural stimulation in motor neurorehabilitation”
By Thomas Sinkjaer, Ph.D. Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Denmark
ts@hst.aau.dk

“Lessons learned from functional electrical therapy in hemiplegics: Optimal solution is hybrid assistive systems”
By Dejan Popovic, Ph.D. Center for Sensory-motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Denmark
dbp@hst.aau.dk

“Dynamic balance training with sensory electrical stimulation in chronic stroke patients”
By Georrg Worms, Research Assistant, Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
g.worms@eng.gla.ac.uk