Neuromodulation to Improve Motor Function After Spinal Cord Injury

Traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) disconnects corticospinal axons from their motor neuron targets, resulting in devastating tetraplegia. To date, the most promising functional restoration in humans SCI has been demonstrated with neurostimulation approaches, either invasive or noninvasive, combined with exercise. Our ongoing research focuses on developing new, more efficient, and noninvasive stimulation protocols designed to target corticospinal-motoneuronal synapses at the spinal cord level, with the goal of enhancing neural connections to muscles. This presentation will cover those stimulation methods, including transcranial magnetic stimulation for restoring motor function after spinal cord injury, and will discuss the findings of our recent studies.

Hang Jin Jo, PT, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the UB Department of Rehabilitation Science. Her research focuses on neurophysiological assessment of neurological impairments in clinical population and application of neuromodulation to improve their motor function. Dr. Jo received her PT degree from Korea University and PhD in Kinesiology from the Pennsylvania State University. She completed her postdoctoral training at Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab studying neuromodulation in patients with spinal cord injury. She is now running a Motor Control and Rehabilitation Lab at UB and continuing her research in spinal cord injury.