<
https://www.sciencealert.com/people-with-complete-paralysis-walk-again-after-nerve-stimulation-breakthrough>
"Using a mix of electrical stimulation and intense physical therapy, nine
people with chronic spinal injuries have had their ability to walk restored.
All suffered from severe or complete paralysis as a result of damage to their
spinal cord. Incredibly, the volunteers all saw improvements immediately, and
continued to show improvements five months later.
A recent study by researchers from the Swiss research group NeuroRestore has
identified the exact nerve groups stimulated by the therapy, using mice as a
starting point.
The nerve cells that orchestrate walking are found in the section of spinal
cord running through our lower backs. Injuries to our spinal cord can interrupt
the chain of signals from the brain, preventing us from walking even when these
specific lumbar neurons are still intact.
Unable to receive commands, these 'walking' neurons effectively become
nonfunctional, potentially leading to a permanent paralysis of the legs.
Previous research demonstrated electrical stimulation of the spinal cord can
reverse such paralysis, but how this occurred wasn't clear. So neuroscientist
Claudia Kathe from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
and colleagues tested a technology called epidural electrical stimulation in
nine individuals, as well as in an animal model."
Via
Future Crunch issue 190:
https://futurecrunch.com/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
