Paralysed men move again with spinal stimulation

[okaawhatever]

They were able to flex their toes, ankles and knees - but could not walk independently.

A report, in the journal Brain, suggests the electricity makes the spinal cord more receptive to the few messages still arriving from the brain.

Experts said it could become a treatment for spinal injury.

The spinal cord acts like a high-speed rail line carrying electrical messages from the brain to the rest of the body. But if there is any damage to the track, then the message will not get through.

People with spinal cord injuries can lose all movement and sensation below the injury.

Continued at Link:
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-26920521

[Suich]

1. Fantastic news! n/t

[Spitfire of ATJ]

2. You mean dead isn't dead?

[pnwmom]

3. Christopher and Dana Reeve's greatest legacy:

http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.ddJFKRNoFiG/b.4048063/k.67BA/The_Christopher_amp_Dana_Reeve_Foundation__Paralysis_amp_Spinal_Cord_Injury.htm

To cure the paralysis and loss of function that spinal cord injuries cause, doctors will need a series of carefully orchestrated interventions. Treatments are likely to start in the field, even before someone reaches the Emergency Room; continue for months; and include rigorous new forms of rehabilitation.

To speed the day when this therapeutic package is available, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation supports research on a variety of fronts. Our largest, most comprehensive research initiative is the Individual Grants Program. Winners of these two-year grants comprise a multi-disciplinary cadre of researchers dedicated to solving the complex medical problems that result from spinal cord injuries, in both the acute and chronic stages. In addition, scientists and clinicians increasingly are turning their attention to biomedical devices and new forms of rehabilitation that already are restoring some measure of independence to people with severe spinal cord injuries.

Since 1982, the Reeve Foundation has awarded more than $103 million to over 650 researchers around the world. Their work falls into these major areas: Neuroprotection ; Promotion of Axon Growth and Remyelination; Axon Guidance, Synapse Formation, and Neurotransmission; Growth Inhibition; Cellular Replacement, Therapeutic Cells and Substrates; Stem Cells; Rehabilitation; Pain and Other Complications of Spinal Cord Injuries; New Tools and Models for Spinal Cord Research.

SNIP

http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.ddJFKRNoFiG/b.4447395/k.88CE/Past_Grantees.htm

Since 1999, the Reeve Foundation has provided 2,300 grants totaling more than $17 million to organizations that help improve the quality of life for individuals living with paralysis and mobility impairments, and their families.