Spinal Cord Stimulation Improves Feedback Control of Reaching Post-Stroke.

ABSTRACT: Cervical spinal cord stimulation (SCS) improves arm function in people with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis, yet its mechanism remains unclear. The leading hypothesis is that SCS enhances motor drive to agonist muscles. To test this, we developed a proportional-derivative (PD) control model of agonist-antagonist interactions and estimated feedback control gains in 12 healthy and 5 stroke participants. In healthy individuals, gains followed a stereotypical structure that we showed was optimal for generating smooth, stable movements. In stroke participants, this structure was disrupted but shifted toward neurotypical (optimal) values with SCS. Contrary to the prevailing hypothesis, the most consistent effect of SCS was a reduction in stabilization (derivative) gains rather than an increase i

SUBMITTER: Refy O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12637764 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature