Breakthrough therapy allows four paraplegic men to voluntarily move their legs - 0 views
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Four young men who have been paralyzed for years achieved
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All four participants were classified as suffering from chronic, motor complete spinal cord injuries and were unable to move their lower extremities prior to the implantation of an epidural stimulator
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The stimulator delivers a continuous electrical current to the participants' lower spinal cords, mimicking signals the brain normally transmits to initiate movement
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were able to execute voluntary movements immediately following the implantation and activation of the stimulator.
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The participants' results and recovery time were unexpected, which led researchers to speculate that some pathways may be intact post-injury and therefore able to facilitate voluntary movements.
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Two of the four subjects were diagnosed as motor and sensory complete injured with no chance of recovery at al
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groundbreaking for the entire field and offers a new outlook that the spinal cord, even after a severe injury, has great potential for functional recovery.
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In epidural stimulation, the electrical current is applied at varying frequencies and intensities to specific locations on the lumbosacral spinal cord
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corresponding to the dense neural bundles that largely control the movement of the hips, knees, ankles and toes
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With the participants, once the signal was triggered, the spinal cord reengaged its neural network to control and direct muscle movements.
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When coupling the intervention with rehabilitative therapy, the impact of epidural stimulation intensified
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Over the course of the study, the researchers noted that the participants were able to activate movements with less stimulation, demonstrating the ability of the spinal network to learn and improve nerve functions
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uncovered a fundamentally new intervention strategy that can dramatically affect recovery of voluntary movement in individuals with complete paralysis, even years after injury
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Beyond regaining voluntary movement, the research participants have displayed a myriad of improvements in their overall health
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increases in muscle mass and regulation of their blood pressure, as well as reduced fatigue and dramatic improvements to their sense of well-being.
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The study offers hope that clinical therapies can be developed to advance treatment for the nearly 6 million Americans living with paralysis, including nearly 1.3 million with spinal cord injuries.
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The four paralyzed participants ranged in neurological level from C7–T5 and were at least two years post-injury at the time of the intervention
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Two of them had been rated "A" on the American Spinal Injury Association's classification system, meaning they had absolutely no sensation or cognition below the site of their injury
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surprising the scientists, who believed at least some of the sensory pathway must be intact for epidural stimulation to be successful.
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With this study, the investigators show that their findings about a motor complete patient regaining movement, as published three years ago in The Lancet, were not an anomaly
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, the implications of this study for the entire field are quite profound, and we can now envision a day when epidural stimulation might be part of a cocktail of therapies used to treat paralysis
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first learned that a patient had regained voluntary control as a result of the therapy, we were cautiously optimistic
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the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, the Kessler Foundation, the University of Louisville, the Jewish Hospital and St. Mary's Foundation, the Frazier Rehab Institute and University Hospital.
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Now that spinal stimulation has been successful in four out of four patients, there is evidence to suggest a large cohort of individuals,
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previously with little realistic hope of any meaningful recovery from spinal cord injury, may benefit from this intervention
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observed this in four out of four people suggests that this is actually a common phenomenon in those diagnosed with complete paralysis
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The scientists are optimistic that the therapy intervention will continue to result in improved motor functions
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based on observations from the research, there is strong evidence that with continued advancements of the epidural stimulator, individuals with complete spinal cord injuries will be able to bear weight independently, maintain balance and work towards stepping