RESTORATION OF HAND AND ARM FUNCTION BY FUNCTIONAL NEUROMUSCULAR STIMULATION

Release Date:  January 19, 2000

NOTICE:  NS-00-005

RFP Available: NIH-NINDS-RFP-00-07 

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 

The Repair and Plasticity Cluster of the National Institute of Neurological 
Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health, has a requirement for 
the continued research and development of functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) 
systems to restore hand grasp in quadriplegic individuals.  Evaluation of these FNS 
systems will be conducted, in part, in human subjects who have paralyzed upper 
extremities as a result of upper motor neuron lesions.  FNS is being used to restore 
functional hand movements in quadriplegic individuals by electrically stimulating 
the paralyzed muscles in their hands and arms.  Although the FNS systems provide 
significant hand function compared to the quadriplegic hand without FNS, further 
improvement is needed and can be expected with further research.  Individuals with 
the current FNS system still have a performance level well below normal.  For 
example, they are unable to reach overhead because of weakness/paralysis of the 
muscles that extend the elbow.  There is also an inability to pronate the wrist.  
These both result in a decreased working space for the individual.  There is also a 
need for finer control and better synchronization of hand movements.  The proposed 
research project will include the following:  1)identify target populations of 
individuals who are not candidates for current hand grasp systems because of the 
level of their injury and devise and develop new FNS systems or enhancements to 
current systems that provide some hand function to these individuals.  Consideration 
shall be given to control of the elbow and shoulder, 2) evaluate in quadriplegic 
volunteers, including women and minorities, the performance of these FNS grasp 
systems, 3) identify extensions of FNS of the upper extremity that could provide 
improved function to current users of FNS systems and devise and develop methods to 
provide this improved function to the current users of FNS grasp systems.  
Consideration shall be given to elbow extension, ease of control, finer control of 
the hand, sensation, and bimanual FNS, 4) evaluate in quadriplegic volunteers, 
including women and minorities, the performance of these improved FNS grasp systems, 
5) in conducting the research on FNS, a variety of interventions ranging from 
established surgical techniques such as tendon transfer, nerve transfer and 
arthodesis to experimental methods such as reinnervation of denervated muscle, 
functional activation of spinal cord circuitry, and development of new methods to 
electrically activate paralyzed nerves and muscle can be considered. 

Personnel with established expertise in neural prostheses, hand surgery, control 
theory, biomechanics, and biomedical engineering will be needed to perform this 
research. 

It is anticipated that one award may be made for a period of four years in September 
2000. 

Request for Proposals (RFP) NIH-NINDS-00-07 will be AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY ONLY.  
It will be available at this website 
(http://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/areas/contracts_management_branch/index.htm)
 15 or more calendar days after the issuance of this synopsis.  OFFERORS ARE 
 RESPONSIBLE FOR ROUTINELY CHECKING THIS WEBSITE FOR ANY POSSIBLE SOLICITATION 
 AMENDMENTS THAT MAY BE ISSUED.  NO INDIVIDUAL NOTIFICATION OF ANY AMENDMENTS 
 WILL BE PROVIDED.  All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall 
 be considered by the agency.  Refer to numbered note 26.

INQUIRIES

Inquiries may be directed to:

Patricia S. Denney, Contracting Officer
Contracts Management Branch
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Neuroscience Center, Room 3287
6001 Executive Boulevard, MSC 9531
Bethesda, MD  20892-9531
Tel:  (301) 496-1813
Fax:  (301) 402-4225
Email:  PD22N@NIH.GOV

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	Office of Extramural Research (OER)			National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892			Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
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