Recent research on monkeys indicates one brain cell may have the
power to restore voluntary movement of paralyzed muscles. Nearly
every neuron tested by scientists demonstrated the ability to
activate muscles immobilized by drugs in monkeys. Some suggest
that if a monkey can learn how to harness the power of a single
neuron to activate muscles that have paralysis, the effect
should be even more powerful in humans. This research finding
has significant implications for the hundreds of thousands of
people with spinal cord injuries annually. It is thought that
some types of spinal cord injuries result in paralysis in which
the person is fully conscious inside a body that does not
respond to commands. While the brain activity that would
normally result in voluntary movement is still present, the
directions for such movement do not reach the muscle. The
current research on monkey brain cells suggests a potential
therapeutic mechanism by bypassing the type of nerve damage that
can result in such paralysis. The brai