Restoration of sensory feedback from the foot and reduction of phantom limb pain via closed-loop spinal cord stimulation.

Restoring somatosensory feedback in individuals with lower-limb amputations would reduce the risk of falls and alleviate phantom limb pain. Here we show, in three individuals with transtibial amputation (one traumatic and two owing to diabetic peripheral neuropathy), that sensations from the missing foot, with control over their location and intensity, can be evoked via lateral lumbosacral spinal cord stimulation with commercially available electrodes and by modulating the intensity of stimulation in real time on the basis of signals from a wireless pressure-sensitive shoe insole. The restored somatosensation via closed-loop stimulation improved balance control (with a 19-point improvement in the composite score of the Sensory Organization Test in one individual) and gait stability (with a 5-point improvement in the Functional Gait Assessment in one individual). And over the implantation period of the stimulation leads, the three individuals experienced a clinically meaningful decrease in phantom limb pain (with an average reduction of nearly 70% on a visual analogue scale). Our findings support the further clinical assessment of lower-limb neuroprostheses providing somatosensory feedback.

Lifting as we climb: Experiences and recommendations from women in neural engineering.

Neural engineering is an emerging and multidisciplinary field in which engineering approaches are applied to neuroscience problems. Women are underrepresented in engineering fields, and indeed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields generally. Underrepresentation of women is particularly notable at later academic career stages, suggesting that even though women are interested in the field, barriers exist that ultimately cause them to leave. Here, we investigate many of the obstacles to women's success in the field of neural engineering and provide recommendations and materials to overcome them. We conducted a review of the literature from the past 15 years regarding the experiences of women in academic careers, as well as reports on the number of women in fields closely related to neural engineering from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). Additionally, we interviewed six women in neural engineering who are involved in initiatives and outreach concerning the inclusion and experiences of women in engineering. Throughout the literature and interviews, we identified common themes spanning the role of identity and confidence, professional relationships, career-related hurdles, and personal and professional expectations. We explore each of these themes in detail and provide resources to support the growth of women as they climb within the field of neural engineering.