Neuromotor Prosthetic to Treat Stroke-Related Paresis

Exclusion Criteria

• •No medical condition requiring active anti-coagulation with a medication such as heparin, warfarin or rivaroxaban (note that anti-platelet agents such as aspirin or clopidogrel are acceptable)
• •No active wound healing or skin breakdown issues.
• •No history of poorly controlled autonomic dysreflexia.
• •Visual impairment such that extended viewing of a computer monitor would be challenging even with ordinary corrective lenses
• •Chronic oral or intravenous steroids or immunosuppressive therapy
• •A score of 23 or lower on Folstein's Mini-Mental Status Examination
• •Orthopedic conditions of either arm that would affect performance on study
• •Untreated psychiatric disturbances that would affect motivation and trial participation
• •Medical contraindications for general anesthesia, craniotomy, or surgery.
• •Diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction or cardiac arrest within previous 6 months.
• •Dementia
• •Other implantable devices such as heart/brain pacemakers
• •Participants who rely on ventilators
• •Co-morbid conditions that would interfere with study activities or response to treatment, which may include:
• •* Life expectancy \< 3 years
• •* Severe chronic pulmonary disease
• •* Seizure within three months prior to enrollment
• •* History of uncontrolled seizures
• •* Local, systemic acute or chronic infectious illness
• •* Life threatening cardiac arrhythmias
• •* Severe collagen vascular disorder
• •Kidney failure or other major organ system failures History of a neurological ablation procedure.
• •Labeled contraindication for MRI.
• •History of HIV infection or ongoing chronic infection (such as tuberculosis).
• •Pregnant or of child-bearing potential and are not taking acceptable methods of contraception.
• •Participation in another investigational device or medication trial
• •Excessive pain in the paretic upper extremity (\> 5 on a 10-point visual analog scale)
• •Excessive spasticity at the paretic elbow, wrist, or digits as defined as a score of \> 2 on the Modified Ashworth Spasticity Scale
• •Participating in any experimental rehabilitation or drug studies
• •Moderate to severe apraxia (\< 2.5 on the Alexander scale)
• •Received phenol injections to any portion of the paretic upper extremity within the past 12 months
• •Other conditions or circumstances that, in the opinion of the investigators, would preclude safe and/or effective participation, including severe skin conditions, and/or other sequelae that may be contraindicated for arm orthosis use as well as personal circumstance