Abstract
Lumbar epidural spinal cord stimulation (SCS) was used to improve motor function in a 50-yr old patient who suffered hemiparesis due to a basal ganglia haemorrhagic stroke. Spinal cord stimulation targeted at the dorsal root afferent fibres at the conus improved the tonic control of the muscles at the knee and ankle joints. This allowed the patient better left knee and foot motor control. The improvement was documented initially during ambulation on a treadmill using decreasing body weight support and subsequently when using walking aids. Our observation is consistent with previous human data suggesting that in humans with brain lesions, the stimulation of preserved neural circuitry can increase spontaneous muscle tone in affected muscles and improve locomotion.