Wearable non-invasive neuroprosthesis for targeted sensory restoration in neuropathy

The study introduces NeuroStep, a wearable device designed to restore lost sensation in individuals with peripheral neuropathy (PN) by stimulating nerves at the ankle level. The device was tested on 14 participants with PN, and results showed a partial restoration of lost sensations, improved gait, and reduced neuropathic pain after just one day of use. Brain imaging revealed that the sensations restored by NeuroStep activated brain areas similar to those activated by natural foot sensations, suggesting an intuitive integration of the artificial feedback.

• 1
  NeuroStep partially restored lost sensations in all 14 PN participants through targeted neurostimulation at the ankle level.
• 2
  Participants experienced improvements in cadence and functional gait, along with a decrease in neuropathic pain, after one day of using the NeuroStep system.
• 3
  fMRI results indicated that restored sensations activated cortical patterns resembling naturally located foot sensations, suggesting intuitive sensory integration.