Closed-loop peripheral sensory augmentation and its effect on motor control

Nervous system is highly adaptive to cope with the changes. But the natural neural adaptation is often not optimal and results in undesirable secondary conditions. If we interface and communicate with the nervous system, we might able to guide the neural adaptation to the proper direction. Electrical circuits and systems can favorably intervene the nervous system operation, as the neural signal can be recorded by electrical circuits and modulated by electrical stimulation (E-stim) at the right timing as a closed loop. The closed-loop E-stim has been applied in multiple ways to modulate ascending sensory feedback or descending motor commands. In this talk, I will introduce one approach of this closed-loop E-stim, applied onto peripheral sensory nerves. The closed-loop E-stim not only augments sensory feedback but also modulates motor output in a desired way. I will also share multiple human and animal experimental data to show the efficacy of the closed-loop E-stim on peripheral sensory nerves.