From Our 2008 Archives Brain Training for Spinal Cord Injury
Latest Neurology News Bypassing the Injury May Put Brain Back in
Charge of Paralyzed Muscles, Study Shows Reviewed By Louise
Chang, MD Oct. 15, 2008 -- Scientists at the University of
Washington in Seattle report success in their first attempts to
harness the brain to treat paralysis in people with spinal cord
injuries. Their technique isn't ready for patients yet, but
researcher Chet Moritz, PhD, says it may one day be used to help
paralyzed people walk. "We haven't studied that directly, so
it's all speculation on my part, but certainly it's possible in
the next 10-20 years," Moritz said at a news conference. The
basic idea is to bypass the spinal cord injury and create a
direct route from the brain to the muscles. It's a concept that
hinges on the brain's ability to adapt, with brain cells
stepping up to handle tasks that they're not used to doing.
Here's a look at the findings, published in today's advance
online edition of Nature. Moritz and co