On the way home: a BCI-FES hand therapy self-managed by sub-acute SCI participants and their caregivers: a usability study.

No control group was used, so any change cannot be separated from natural recovery or usual therapy. Only seven pairs completed training and only three pairs completed enough independent sessions for final assessment, so effectiveness was not thoroughly investigated. Sessions took place in a hospital research space, not at home, so real home noise, travel, and daily demands may change usability. Training and self-managed sessions were supervised by researchers or OTs, which may have changed stress and performance. Some pairs had sparse sessions because many people were needed, which made donning and BCI use harder. One pair withdrew after one session, leaving limited data. Participants were sub-acute SCI with varying injury levels and muscle grades, so results may not apply to all SCI patients. OTs noted older users, poor FES response, eyesight, shaky hands, and a narrow recruitment window as barriers, so selection matters.

Funding was provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, a RAE/Leverhume Senior Researcher Fellowship, and Digital Health & Care Institute Scotland. The supplied text gives no competing-interest statement.

Do not read this as proof that BCI-FES improves hand function after SCI. The study had no control group, participants also received usual therapy, natural recovery was ongoing, and only three pairs completed enough independent sessions for final assessment.