Mechanical and Electrical Stimulation to Support Motor Recovery

Physical therapy plays an important role in neurorehabilitation and motor recovery after conditions like stroke or spinal cord injury. Movement-based interventions, potentially combined with neuromodulation approaches, such as mechanical or electrical stimulation, may enhance motor recovery and improve outcomes. 

In this episode, hosts Dr. Jyutika Mehta and Dr. Marie McNeely are joined by Dr. Evan Sandler, a research scientist in the Spinal Cord Injury Research Program at Shepherd Center. Evan discusses how mechanical or electrical stimulation can impact the recovery process, findings from his research using transcutaneous spinal stimulation to facilitate motor recovery in individuals with spinal cord injury, and how he and his team bring new research findings into the clinic to improve patient care. He also shares key challenges with using different stimulation modalities to enhance motor recovery and the importance of clinical biomarkers for informing our approach to treatment.