RU2393885C1 - Method of spinal cord stimulating - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention refers to an experimental medicine. Electromagnetic effect on spinal cord in the thoracic vertebrae T11-T12 is carried out in a patient placed in lateral recumbent position with legs hung in swing frames. The inductor is imposed on the skin over the spines, they are stimulated for 10-20 seconds with varying electromagnetic field with magnetic induction of 2.0-2.5 T with frequency of 3-5 Hz. The proposed electromagnetic stimulation of spinal cord of the person under test causes compulsory movement of pelvic limbs typical for walking, rhythmic alternation of flexor and extensor movements of joints, movement in opposite phase in hip and ankle joints of right limb movement in opposite phase in knee joint of right and leg, i.e. it demonstrates typical natural locomotory movements.

EFFECT: development of an effective way of spinal cord stimulating.

1 ex, 1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to medicine, as well as to the physiology of movements and electrophysiology, and can be used to create methods of treatment and rehabilitation of people with spinal cord lesions of a certain localization.

The number of such patients worldwide is increasing annually. The result of damage to the spine and spinal cord is partial immobility. Despite the constantly created new methods of treatment and rehabilitation of such patients, the problem of restoring the movement of the lower extremities remains unresolved.

The closest analogues are “The method of treating patients with chronic spinal cord injury” (RU 2204423) and “The method of treating patients with chronic spinal cord injury” (RU 2000121379/14). In these methods, electrical stimulation of the lumbar thickening of the spinal cord using electrodes applied to the dura mater of the spinal cord (dura mater) causes leg movements when the patient is in a relaxed position, lying on his back or side with his legs suspended on a swing frame. The difference between these inventions is that in one of them (RU 2000121379/14) a method of self-stimulation using permanent implanted electrodes for chronic stimulation is proposed. However, methods analogous to the treatment of patients with chronic damage to the spinal cord are invasive and consist of applying stimulating electrodes to the surface of the dura mater of the spinal cord, followed by electrical stimulation of the spinal cord below the level of its damage. The implementation of these methods of treatment requires surgical intervention for implantation of electrodes and specific medical care for the entire period of operation of stimulating electrodes to prevent inflammatory reactions and electrode rejection.

The task is to cause leg movements characteristic of walking in a person in a non-invasive way when he is lightened without surgical intervention to implant the electrodes, as well as without the risks associated with a foreign body implanted on the surface of the spinal cord.

The essence of the proposed method of stimulation of the spinal cord, including the electromagnetic effect on the spinal cord in the area of the given T11-T12 thoracic vertebrae with a given magnitude, frequency and duration of exposure in a patient lying on his side, with legs suspended on a swing frame, lies in the fact that stimulated by an alternating electromagnetic field with magnetic induction of 2.0-2.5 T, with a frequency of 3-5 Hz, for 10-20 seconds, an inductor applied to the patient’s skin over the specified vertebrae.

The result of the influence of variable electromagnetic stimulation on the movements of the lower extremities is shown in Figure 1 in the form of goniograms, curves reflecting changes in the angle in the joints. Above is a record of the entire duration of electromagnetic stimulation. Bottom right - record the duration of time, 5 seconds. The direction of the goniogram upward is the flexion of the joint, downward is the extension of the joint. PB - the right thigh. PC - right knee. LC - left knee. The results obtained during stimulation with parameters of 3-5 Hz, 2.0-2.5 T, are identical.

With this effect, the patient’s motor activity is initiated non-invasively without surgical implantation of the electrodes and subsequent labor-intensive medical care, as well as in the absence of risks for the patient associated with a foreign body implanted on the surface of the spinal cord. This result opens up the prospect of using the proposed electromagnetic stimulation of the spinal cord to restore the walking mechanism in patients with spinal cord damage above the level of T11-T12.

Example. Research conducted on two adult volunteers. The test subject was placed on the couch, on the left side. The legs were placed in a swing frame. A magnetic stimulator inductor was placed cutaneous in the region of the T11-T12 vertebrae. For electromagnetic stimulation, a standard medical device Magstim Rapid (Magstim Company Ltd., UK) was used. Parameters of electromagnetic stimulation: 3-5 Hz, 2.1 T. Duration of stimulation of 10-20 seconds. To register the movements of the lower extremities, the MBN-Biomechanics complex (Moscow) was used; goniometer sensors were located in the area of the hip and knee joints of both limbs (drawing). Before the start of stimulation, they were instructed to relax and not interfere with the movements that occur during electromagnetic stimulation.

The proposed electromagnetic stimulation of the spinal cord of the test subject causes involuntary movements of the lower extremities characteristic of walking: rhythmic alternation of flexion and extensor movements in the joints; movements in antiphase in the hip and ankle joints of the right limb; movements in antiphase in the knee joint of the right and left legs demonstrate typical natural locomotor movements. With electromagnetic stimulation of movement in the hip joint of the left leg was not observed, because the subject was lying on his left side. Thus, the variable electromagnetic stimulation of the spinal cord of a person with the lightened position of the subject himself can cause involuntary specific, typical for walking natural locomotor movements of the lower extremities.

Non-invasive electromagnetic stimulation of the spinal cord, in conditions of external support of the legs in the frames, allows you to initiate locomotor movements, involuntary, characteristic specific for walking in humans. The purpose is in the physiology of movements for modeling locomotor behavior, for studying the mechanisms of controlling locomotor behavior, and also in medicine for creating non-invasive methods of treatment and rehabilitation of people with vertebro-spinal pathology.

LITERATURE

1. A method for the treatment of patients with chronic damage to the spinal cord. Patent RU 22204423.

2. A method for the treatment of patients with chronic damage to the spinal cord. Patent RU 2000121379/14.

Claims (1)

A method of stimulating the spinal cord, including electromagnetic action on the spinal cord in the region of the thoracic vertebrae T11-T12 with a given value, frequency and duration of exposure to a patient placed "lying on his side", with legs suspended in a swing frame, characterized in that they impose an inductor on the skin above the vertebrae is stimulated by an alternating electromagnetic field with a magnetic induction of 2.0-2.5 T, a frequency of 3-5 Hz, for 10-20 s.

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