# Enhancing Seated Stability and Reaching After Spinal Cord Injury

> **NIH NIH R01** · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $430,929

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 The overall goal of the proposed research is to develop new control systems to restore seated function and
enhance the postural stability of the trunk for individuals paralyzed by spinal cord injury (SCI). Systems that
provide persons with the ability to sit erect, alter their seated posture, and maintain balance by automatically
adjusting stimulation to the paralyzed muscles will be designed, optimized in simulation, and evaluated
experimentally in nine volunteers with SCI. The project will result in a unique, comprehensive trunk balance
control system that extends the capabilities and improves the safety of all currently available trunk
neuroprostheses.
 The first aim of the study is to design, deploy and test an advanced neuroprosthesis to stabilize the trunks
of individuals with SCI and maintain upright sitting. A disturbance-rejection controller using information from
body-mounted sensors will be optimized to maintain erect posture for disturbances in all directions around the
seated user. In that way restrictive chest straps or custom seating adaptations are completely eliminated and
the likelihood of falling from the wheelchair reduced to a minimum.
 The objective of the second aim is to tune, characterize and asses the performance of a system that will
allow individuals with paraplegia to safely deploy their trunks and maintain the stability of non-erect postures,
thus expanding their reachable workspace. Performance of this posture-changing controller will be
determined in a series of experiments that deploy the trunk to different positions away from the backrest and
testing the ability to remain steady at the desired postures.
 In the third aim, we will characterize the consistency, accuracy and fidelity of the implanted sensors in the
new networked neuroprosthesis (NNPS). This will be done by collecting data in a series of experiments and
developing an algorithm that will fuse the signals from the various sensors to produce a robust feedback signal
suitable for control studies. Thereafter we will implement the disturbance-rejection and posture-changing
control systems without external components with this new technology.
 This application addresses the main mission of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help lead the way
toward important medical discoveries that improve people's health and save lives. In particular it
coincides with the missions of NINDS to reduce the burden of neurological disease, NIBIB to improve
health by leading the development and accelerating the application of biomedical technologies, and
NCMRR to foster development of scientific knowledge needed to enhance the health, productivity,
independence, and quality-of-life of people with disabilities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9903456
- **Project number:** 5R01NS101043-03
- **Recipient organization:** CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Musa L Audu
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $430,929
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-04-15 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9903456

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9903456, Enhancing Seated Stability and Reaching After Spinal Cord Injury (5R01NS101043-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9903456. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*