Motor and sensor recovery in a paraplegic by transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation in water

A spinal cord injury is associated with a loss or reduction of motor and sensor function. During the rehabilitation process, gait training and standing exercise play a significant role in partial restoration of motor ability. In this paper we introduce a case study, which determines the effects of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) during locomotion attempts in water. Within eight weeks a paraplegic subject conducted 14 training sessions involving tSCS and one session containing a combination of tSCS and functional electrical stimulation (FES). For assessment purposes, inertial sensor units (IMUs) and electromyography (EMG) sensors were used in water during locomotion.