Contracts Management Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Federal Building, Room 901, 7550 Wisconsin Avenue, MSC 9190, Bethesda, Maryland 20892

A -- SENSORY INFORMATION FROM AFFERENT NEURONS Sol RFP No. NIH-NINDS-95-14. Due 073195. Contact Point, Laurie Leonard, 301/496-1813, Contracting Officer, Kirkland Davis, 301/496-9203. The Neural Prosthesis Program of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports the development of aids for the neurologically handicapped. These aids, known as neural prostheses, replace or supplement neurological function by directly interfacing with the nervous system. In patients with spinal cord injuries, sensation below the level of injury is lost despite the fact that the tactile and proprioceptive receptors and their associated afferent neurons are usually intact. If appropriate connections to these afferent neurons could be achieved, they could be used as transducers for touch, force and position in functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) systems. This sensory information is needed for closed loop control of FNS and for restoring sensation. In on-going studies in Denmark, step lift-off information, obtained from a chronically implanted electrode on the sural nerve, has been used to control lifting of the foot during the swing phase in an individual with stroke related foot-drop. In another study, the feasibility of obtaining contact/release information from the lateral surface of the index finger has been demonstrated in a quadriplegic volunteer using a cuff electrode placed on a digital nerve in the hand. A contract was initiated two years ago to investigate, in an animal model, the feasibility of extracting signals for control and for sensory feedback from electrical recordings in peripheral nerves using cuff electrodes. This research has demonstrated stable physiological function, as measured by conduction latency, of cuffed peripheral nerves in cats for periods of 6 months. The signals recorded from these cuff electrodes reflect the mixture of cutaneous and proprioceptive receptors in skin and muscle and typically show a rapidly-adapting response to contact and a lesser rapidly-adapting response to release. Nerve cuff recordings can provide event related information such as time of contact and release of objects. They might also provide joint position and contact force information but more selective chronic recording techniques may be more suitable. This investigation will study the feasibility of obtaining sensory information including force and position related signals from peripheral nerves in animals on a chronic basis. The proposed project will develop, in an animal model, chronic recording methods for extracting sensory information about human fingertip contact, grasped object slip, finger position, and grasp force from chronic recordings of the afferent activity of sensory receptors. Performance of work under this project will require personnel with established expertise in sensory physiology, and chronic electrical recording in peripheral nerves. It is anticipated that one award will made for a period of three years. This is not a Request for Proposals. Request for Proposals (RFP) No. NIH-NINDS-95-14 will be issued on or about May 31, 1995, with responses due on or about July 31, 1995. Written request for a copy of the RFP must cite the RFP number referenced above. Please supply this office with two (2) self-addressed mailing labels. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the Government. (128)

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