Peripheral nerve stimulation enables somatosensory feedback while suppressing phantom limb pain in transradial amputees

Gurgen Soghoyan; Artur Biktimirov; Yury Matvienko; Ilya Chekh; Mikhail Sintsov; Mikhail A Lebedev

doi:10.1016/j.brs.2023.04.017

Peripheral nerve stimulation enables somatosensory feedback while suppressing phantom limb pain in transradial amputees

Brain Stimul. 2023 May-Jun;16(3):756-758. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.04.017. Epub 2023 Apr 24.

Authors

Gurgen Soghoyan¹, Artur Biktimirov², Yury Matvienko³, Ilya Chekh³, Mikhail Sintsov⁴, Mikhail A Lebedev⁵

Affiliations

¹ Vladimir Zelman Center for Neurobiology and Brain Rehabilitation, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia. Electronic address: gsogoyan98@gmail.com.
² Laboratory of Experimental and Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia; Motorica LLC, Moscow, Russia; Far Eastern Federal University, Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery, 10 k 25, settlement Ajax, Russky Island, 690922, Vladivostok, Russia.
³ Motorica LLC, Moscow, Russia.
⁴ Vladimir Zelman Center for Neurobiology and Brain Rehabilitation, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia; Motorica LLC, Moscow, Russia.
⁵ Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia; Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

PMID: 37100202
DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.04.017

Abstract

To simultaneously treat phantom limb pain (PLP) and restore somatic sensations using peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS), two bilateral transradial amputees were implanted with stimulating electrodes in the proximity of the medial, ulnar and radial nerves. Application of PNS evoked tactile and proprioceptive sensations in the phantom hand. Both patients learned to determine the shape of invisible objects by scanning a computer tablet with a stylus while receiving feedback based on PNS or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Оne patient learned to use PNS as feedback from the prosthetic hand that grasped objects of different sizes. PNS abolished PLP completely in one patient and reduced it by 40-70% in the other. We suggest incorporating PNS and/or TENS in active tasks to reduce PLP and restore sensations in amputees.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05650931.

Keywords: Amputation; Bionic prosthetics; Electroceuticals; Embodiment; Neuromodulation; Neuropathic pain; Neuroprosthetics; Neurostimulation; Peripheral nerve stimulation; Phantom limb; Phantom limb pain; Sensory restoration; Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.

Publication types

Letter
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Amputees*
Feedback
Humans
Peripheral Nerves / physiology
Phantom Limb* / therapy
Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation*

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT05650931