Common knowledge among experts has typically been that someone who has suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury and gone two years without being able to regain function within their legs probably will never see motion return. This is disappointing news for persons who find themselves in that situation, to be sure.
However, a new piece of research found in a medical journal called Brain suggests that this commonly held fact may not actually hold true. The Los Angeles Times highlights the study in a new report.
The study sought to replicate the electrical signals that the brain typically sends to a person’s limbs to generate movement in healthy individuals. Researchers emulated this through the usage of electrodes positioned underneath the injured area of the spine. The four persons involved in the study were reportedly able to move their legs to some degree when this therapy was applied.
This is certainly promising for persons who have sustained spinal cord injuries but have been unable to get their legs to move. However, there is still work to be done. Researchers plan to examine whether or not surgery can be avoided in the course of pursuing this treatment method, and they’re also looking into the possibility of aiding quadriplegics in addition to paraplegics.
For further details on this research and the tests carried out to come to these conclusions, follow this link.
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