GOOD RECOVERY OF MOTOR FUNCTION FOLLOWING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM, PRIMARILY THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, IS DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE.

GOOD RECOVERY OF MOTOR FUNCTION FOLLOWING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM, PRIMARILY THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, IS DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE. THERE MAY BE A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY THE REGENERATIVE RESPONSE TO INJURY WOULD NOT LEAD TO FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY, AND A VARIETY OF METHODOLOGIES HAVE EMERGED TO MANIPULATE THE REGENERATIVE RESPONSE TO INJURY. SUCH METHODOLOGIES INCLUDE MUSCLE TRANSPLANTATION, WHICH IS IMPORTANT IN STUDYING THE REINNERVATION PROCESS, AND IN VITRO TECHNIQUES, UTILIZING A NUMBER OF ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS. THIS PROPOSAL DEALS WITH TESTING THE ABILITY OF A DEVICE TO ATTRACT REGENERATING NEURITES FOR SYNAPTIC CONTACT IN AN IN VITRO PREPARATION. WE WILL ALSO DETERMINE WHETHER IT IS POSSIBLE TO RECORD THE ACTIVITY OF THE ELECTRICALLY EXCITABLE ELEMENTS UPON WHICH SYNAPTIC CONTACT IS MADE. IF THIS FUNCTION OF THE DEVICE CAN BE PARALLELED IN VIVO (SUCH AS IN THE SCIATIC NERVE), THEN IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO UTILIZE THE ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM FOR SUBSEQUENT MODULATION OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES (I.E., FOR MUSCLE STIMULATION OR LIMB PROSTHETICS) TO ENABLE THE PARTIAL RESTORATION OF MOTOR CONTROL. IT MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE TO USE SUCH A COMPATIBLE INTERFACING DEVICE IN PORTIONS OF THE DAMAGED CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.