CLEVELAND VA MEDICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION

DR. HAMID CHARKHKAR, PHD- DOD "NEURALLY INTEGRATED LOWER LIMB PROSTHESIS FOR HOME AND COMMUNITY USE" THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO DEVELOP AND DEPLOY A FULLY IMPLANTABLE, SELF-CONTAINED LOWER LIMB SENSORY NEUROPROSTHESIS THAT IS EASY-TO-USE IN THE COMMUNITY AND/OR ACTIVE-DUTY ENVIRONMENTS. DOING SO COULD PROVIDE WARFIGHTERS WITH LOWER LIMB LOSS THE ABILITY TO POTENTIALLY RETURN TO ACTIVE DUTY OR FACILITATE RESUMPTION OF A HEALTHY AND SOCIALLY ENGAGED LIFESTYLE. CONVENTIONAL PROSTHESES ARE NOT DESIGNED TO EFFECTIVELY INTERFACE WITH COMPROMISED SKELETAL, MUSCULAR, AND NERVOUS SYSTEMS FOLLOWING A LOWER LIMB AMPUTATION. ALTHOUGH NUMEROUS ADVANCED PROSTHESES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED, NO COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE DEVICE CAN PROVIDE A DIRECT NEURAL CONNECTION TO THE REMAINING NERVES IN THE RESIDUAL LIMB SO THAT SOMATOSENSORY FEEDBACK OF PROSTHETIC FOOT-FLOOR INTERACTIONS CAN BE UTILIZED. SENSORY RESTORATION APPROACHES USING A DIRECT NEURAL INTERFACE HAVE REPORTED POSITIVE EFFECTS, INCLUDING AN INCREASE IN WALKING SPEED, REDUCTION IN PHANTOM PAIN, AND LIGHTER WEIGHT PERCEPTION OF THE PROSTHESIS. HOWEVER, MOST TESTS WITH THESE SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED IN CONTROLLED LABORATORY ENVIRONMENTS, AND THEIR EFFECTS DURING ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING ARE LARGELY UNKNOWN. PROBING SUCH EFFECTS REQUIRES EXAMINING THE LONG-TERM USE OF THESE PROSTHESES OUTSIDE THE LABORATORY WHILE USERS ENGAGE IN CHALLENGING PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES TYPICAL IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT PROLONGED USE OF THE NEUROPROSTHESIS AT HOME AND IN THE COMMUNITY WILL IMPROVE STANDARD STATIC AND DYNAMIC MEASURES OF BALANCE AND GAIT STABILITY REVEALED THROUGH QUANTITATIVE POSTUROGRAPHY AND GAIT ANALYSIS.

DR. RONALD TRIOLO, PHD-CRAIG H. NEILSEN FOUNDATION "THE NORTHEAST OHIO PARAROWING SOCIETY" GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ESTABLISH A NEW PARAROWING PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SCI IN NORTHEASTERN OHIO. PARAROWING PROGRAMS EXIST IN MANY PARTS OF THE US, BUT SUCH OPPORTUNITIES ARE UNAVAILABLE IN CLEVELAND OR ANYWHERE NORTH OF COLUMBUS FROM TOLEDO TO YOUNGSTOWN. THIS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SCI TO EXPERIENCE THE EXERCISE AND CAMARADERIE OF A DYNAMIC AND EXPANDING REGIONAL ROWING COMMUNITY, AND AN OBSTACLE TO ACCESSING OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENJOYING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT. THE NORTHEAST OHIO PARAROWING SOCIETY (NEOPS) WILL REMOVE THESE IMPEDIMENTS TO PARTICIPATION IN THE LOCAL ROWING COMMUNITY AND CREATE A NEW OUTLET TO ACTIVELY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AN OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE OPPORTUNITY. OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO 1) ESTABLISH THE PROCEDURES NECESSARY TO INTRODUCE INDIVIDUALS WITH SCI TO SCULLING IN ADAPTED SHELLS WITH PROPER TECHNIQUE, SPECIALIZED COACHING, AND ADEQUATE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS, 2) BROADEN THE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT INTO A LARGER AND SELF-SUSTAINING CLUB FOR THE LOCAL SCI COMMUNITY, AND 3) EXTEND ROWING PERFORMANCE AND EXERCISE INTENSITY BY TRANSLATING LABORATORY-BASED NEURAL STIMULATION TECHNIQUES TO ON-WATER SCULLING (E-SCULLING)