Characterization of the clinical and neuromodulatory effects of transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation in Essential Tremor

Duration: September 2023 – December 2024

Funder: Neuromod+ Flexible Fund Award (co-funded by EPSRC and MRC)

Research Team: Prof. Farina, Dr Alejandro Pascual Valdunciel

Collaborators: Imperial College London (UK) and University College London (UK)

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Tremor is a motor disorder which can severely affect the quality of life of patients, leading to significant socio-economic impact. In this project we aim to explore a non-invasive and cost-effective solution for mitigating tremor. Particularly, we will investigate the effectiveness of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) in treating tremor and how this technique interferes with motor control. tSCS involves weak currents delivered through electrodes attached to the skin. It has been proven to modulate the central nervous system and based on our previous research on nerve stimulation, we assume that it could potentially disrupt the tremorgenic oscillations at the spinal cord, preventing them to reach the muscles. We will explore the tremor reduction efficacy and safety of tSCS in Essential Tremor and attempt to characterize the neuromodulatory effects on motor control of different stimulation parameters, including a closed-loop stimulation strategy synced with the tremor.