Validação de um sistema de eletroestimulação cutâneo para retroalimentação sensorial

Abstract

The absence of sensory feedback significantly impacts the quality of life of individuals with amputations or neuropathies. In this context, cutaneous electrical stimulation has emerged as a promising non-invasive approach to restore tactile sensations. This study aimed to validate a custom electrostimulation system developed at the Biomedical Engineering Laboratory of the Federal University of Uberlândia (BioLab). Nine healthy volunteers participated in a tactile perception protocol involving the application of individually calibrated electrical currents at different frequencies. After each stimulus, participants rated the perceived intensity, sensation continuity, frequency change perception, and described the evoked sensory quality. The system was shown to safely evoke distinct sensory perceptions, demonstrating a logarithmic relationship between perceived intensity and stimulation frequency, in line with previous findings. Results also highlighted the need for individualized current amplitude calibration due to variability in sensory and pain thresholds. The findings suggest that the system is capable of eliciting a variety of tactile sensations through parameter modulation and holds potential for use in sensory feedback restoration applications.