SCITCS FES Research Laboratory

Click here to download the research application form.

Additional Information on FES Research at the University of Alberta

Dave Collins, PhD

Additional information on Walking ...Again Research in AHFMR Research News (pages 16 and 17)

Download recent articles from SCITCS News

Engineering Research For Spinal Cord Injury  Then click here to run the video.

 SEE Persons with SCI using recumbent tricycles, arm-cranking systems for people with quadriplegia and treadmill walking using partial body-weight support.

Application of FES at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. 

Learn more about FES indoor competitive rowing in the UK.

Management of Chronic Pain in SCI Thomas E. Balazy, MD

Regaining bladder control NEW RESEARCH in 2006-2007 A technique pioneered in China by Dr.Chuan-Gao Xiao at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Surgeons cut open a spot on the spine and sew two normally unrelated nerves together--one from the bladder to one from the thigh--with a single hair-thin stitch. It takes months for this new nerve bridge to heal. If it works, merely scratching the thigh should signal the bladder to empty. To date 110 spinal cord injury patients and 230 with spina bifida have undergone the procedure with an 80% success rate.

Vivian K. Mushahwar, PhD Principal Investigator in Spinal Cord Injury and Rehabilitation Engineering

• B.Sc. Electrical and Computer Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA (1986 -1991)
• PhD Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA (1992-1996)
• Post-doctoral Fellow in Rehabilitation Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (1996 - 1998)
• Post-doctoral Fellow in Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (1998 - 2001)
• Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (2001 - present)
• AHFMR Scholar (2002 – present)
• Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah (2001 – present)
• Adjunct Assistant Professor, Center for Neuroscience, University of Alberta (2002 – present)
• Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta (2005 – present)

The overall goal of the work in my,  "Spinal Cord Injury and Neuroprostheses" ,  "Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Centre Functional Electrical Stimulation Research" and the "Rehabilitation Engineering", laboratories is to develop rehabilitation interventions for improving and restoring lost function after spinal cord injury, head trauma or stroke. My multidisciplinary research team is composed of biologists, engineers and neuroscientists and we collaborate with multiple laboratories at the University of Alberta and across North America. Our work is funded by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR), the Canadian Fund for Innovation (CFI), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the International Spinal Cord Injury Trust (ISRT) the Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Centre (Northern Alberta) Society (SCITCS) and the United State National Institutes of Health (NIH).

                       Vivian K. Mushahwar PhD (Front R) with her multidisciplinary research team.

On January 11th, 2006 the SCITCS Board of Directors
donated $80,123.56 to research the development of deep pressure ulcer formation through the
SCITCS Craig Simpson Quality of Life Research Grant.

The funds will be used to develop a method for preventing the onset of deep ulcers using novel electrical stimulation paradigms.

See Research Project number 3 below for additional information To participate in this research phone 780 492-8480

Nine research projects are currently underway in Dr. Mushawhar's three laboratories:

1) and 2) Restoring Standing and Stepping after Spinal Cord Injury through the Use of Intraspinal Microstimulation The restoration of standing and walking after spinal cord injury has the benefits of improving muscle and skin properties, joint health and bone density, and cardiovascular and pulmonary function. Intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) is a novel electrical stimulation technique that uses very fine, hair-like wires to stimulate the "control center" for standing and stepping in the spinal cord. The microwires are implanted in a relatively small region of the cord (about 5 cm) and patterned stimulation through these wires can generate coordinated muscle contractions in the legs. These contractions produce balanced standing and walking movements. This is a large project focused on assessing the long-term functionality and benefits of ISMS and its effects on muscle health. Contact Lisa Guevremont (PhD student) and Bernice Lau (Honors Electrical Engineering Student)
3) Early Detection and Prevention of Deep Pressure Sores Wheelchair-users and bed-ridden individuals are at high risk of developing pressure sores. Pressure sores can develop at the surface of the skin due to multiple factors including abrasions, moisture and poor nutrition. Sores can also develop from the inside-out as a result of deep tissue necrosis (death) and can cause massive tissue damage prior to exhibiting clear skin signs. The goals of this project are two fold: developing tools that would allow for early detection of deep tissue death and preventing the death of deep tissue by enhancing the oxygenation level at high risk regions that are susceptible to necrosis. Contact Leandro Solis (PhD Student)
4) Reduction of Spasticity after Spinal Cord Injury and Stroke Spasticity is a very debilitating side-effect of spinal cord injury and stroke. It can lead to uncontrolled spasms and compromise the efficiency of residual voluntary function. This project focuses on obtaining a better understanding of the mechanisms of spasticity using computer modeling, and developing surface electrical stimulation and training paradigms that would reduce spasticity in individuals with spinal cord injury and stroke. Our aim is to achieve this reduction in excitability without suppressing muscle facilitation. Contact Sherif ElBasiouny (PhD Student)
5) Neuroprotection of the Spinal Cord from the Deleterious Effects of Secondary Injury Immediately following spinal cord injury, a cascade of harmful chemical reactions take place around the injured tissue that result in the expansion of the injured site and the loss of additional neural tissue. This cascade is referred to as secondary injury and commonly leads to increasing the magnitude of functional loss cause by the initial (or primary) injury. The goal of this project is to reduce the extent of secondary injury by removing the harmful chemical byproducts around the injury site and replacing them with fresh, nutrient-rich fluids. The original concept for this project was developed in 2002 by Jan Kowalczewski, a summer student in the lab. Contact Andrew Ganton (MSc Student)
6) Non-invasive Assessment of Spinal Cord Health after Injury and in response to Rehabilitation Interventions Treatment of spinal cord injury requires proper assessment of spinal cord tissue in order to determine the extent of injury and the biochemical composition of the environment of the cord around the injury site. The goal of this project is to develop non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS) techniques that would allow for anatomical and chemical assessment of spinal cord tissue. This information will be used to determine the extent of injury, the time and mode of intervention following injury, and the effect of various conventional and novel rehabilitation treatments on spinal cord health. Contact Daniel Hallihan (MScStudent), Steven McGie (Honors Neuroscience Student)

7) Rehabilitation of Limb Function using Feedback-Based Training

A staggering 1.3% of all Canadians are living with stroke, spinal cord injury, or Parkinson's disease, the vast majority of whom have diminished arm function. Our goal is to gain a greater understanding of the neural processes underlying voluntary multi-joint reaching movements, and to develop operant conditioning training protocols (i.e., biofeedback-based training) to modify weak or pathological activity in the brain and spinal cord. 

CONTACT: Andrew Ganton (MSc Student)

8) Restoration of Limb Function after Spinal Cord Injury using Functional Electrical Stimulation-Induced Plasticity.

Loss of regulated sensory input from the limbs after spinal cord injury further exaggerates the movement deficits resulting from the injury itself.  Sensory information from the arms and legs is critical for shaping the activity patterns on the spinal networks responsible for controlling limb movements.  Our goal is to develop FES training protocols to regulate the sensory input to the spinal cord in order to improve arm and leg function, and to gain a better understanding of the role sensory input and reflexes play in controlling limb movements after injury.

CONTACT: Andrew Ganton (MSc Student)

9) Muscle Activation by Electrical Stimulation in the Spinal Cord

Intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) offers the potential to generate movements that are fatigue resistant and to initiate force production that is well controlled.  This project evaluates the muscle activation properties of ISMS by determining whether or not this new technique can maintain chronically paralyzed muscle in a healthy state. 

CONTACT: Jeremy Bamford (PhD Student)