Dr. Jousse Lecture Series
Welcome to the new Dr. Albin T Jousse Lecture Series in collaboration with Best Practice Forum, which is sponsored by the Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, the Spinal Cord Rehab Program, the Neural Engineering and Therapeutics Team, and Toronto Rehab.
The purpose of this lecture series is to provide a venue for scientists, physicians and clinicians working in rehab settings as well as students, consumers and their caregivers to share knowledge, present the latest research findings and participate in a dialogue on what it means to live with disability. The lectures will be 45 minute long followed by 15 minutes of questions.
Coordinator of the Dr. Albin T. Jousse Lecture Series is Dr. Kristin Musselman . If you have any comments, concerns or would like to present please send us an email at kristin.musselman@uhn.ca.
The series is currently in its 11th season.
- This lecture has passed.
Trunk impairment and how to improve sitting balance after spinal cord injury
September 1, 2016 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) could result in paralysis of the trunk and lower limb muscles which can significantly impair trunk stability and sitting balance. However, very little is known about the complex neuromuscular coordination of the trunk muscles and the effects of SCI. Currently, chest straps and trunk braces are used to stabilize the trunk and correct sitting after SCI. In addition to these passive devices, functional electrical stimulation (FES) could be used to artificially contract trunk muscles and regulate sitting balance. In this talk, I will present: (1) what we know about trunk muscle coordination; (2) how SCI affects trunk muscle coordination during sitting; and (3) how we can use FES to improve sitting balance. Understanding trunk muscle impairment in combination with the use of FES can provide important implications for optimizing sitting balance rehabilitation.
Biography
Matija Milosevic is an NSERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Tokyo in Japan. Prior to moving to Tokyo, Matija completed his PhD in biomedical engineering at the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto and the Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-UHN. His main research was related to postural control and neuromuscular modelling of sitting and standing balance, and use of functional electrical stimulation. Matija’s current research is focused on exploring neurophysiology and neuroplasticity during motor control tasks as a way to enhance the function of individuals with neurological and physical impairments as well as to maximize the performance of athletes. Matija’s research expertise includes biomechanics, biomedical instrumentation, neurophysiology, neuroprostheses, modeling, signal processing and rehabilitation.