Category: ‘Uncategorized’

Simultaneous Electrical and Magnetic Stimulation Helped a Spinal Cord Injury Patient Regain the Ability to Walk

Posted on August 19th, 2020

At the BioMag Laboratory, the first promising results have been achieved in the application of synchronized electrical and magnetic stimulation therapy when rehabilitating a paraplegic patient and restoring his ability to walk.

Implanted Neural Stem Cell Grafts Show Functionality in Spinal Cord Injuries

Posted on August 5th, 2020

In mouse studies, the specialized grafts integrated with host networks and behaved much like neurons in a healthy, undamaged spinal cord.

Cultured Human Neuron — Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cultured human neuron. Photo credit: Thomas Deerinck, UC San Diego National Center for Microscopy and Imaging.

UVA Scientists Probe Individual Cells to Find Better Treatments for Spinal Cord Injuries

Posted on April 30th, 2020

Two top scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine are seeking answers to questions about spinal cord injuries that have long frustrated the development of effective treatments.

The scientists, Jonathan Kipnis, PhD, and Kodi Ravichandran, PhD, are teaming up to understand why critical nerve cells called neurons continue to die after spinal cord injuries. So little is known that doctors aren’t even certain if the body’s immune response is beneficial or harmful.

“Remarkable improvements” for Spinal Cord Injury Veterans

Posted on April 10th, 2020

Aiming to implant 20 Veterans with electrodes inside the spine

A spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating medical condition. It limits the function of movement and control in the body. As a result, having an SCI can lead to reduced aerobic fitness, glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. This is due to autonomic dysfunction, muscle wasting, increased regional and total body fat mass, and relative inactivity.

Research Team Identifies Potential Target for Restoring Movement After Spinal Cord Injury

Posted on December 21st, 2019

Potential Movement Targets in Spinal Cord Injuries — (a) Both lumbar MNs and higher motor centers, including the corticospinal (CST), rubrospinal (RST) and descending propriospinal (dPST) tracts, are required to initiate and maintain locomotor function in normal conditions.(b) Thoracic contusions at T9 abolish the CST and RST, but spare the dPST projections below the injury, leading to lumbar motoneuron (MN) dendritic atrophy and locomotor dysfunction. (c) Modulation of propriospino-MN circuits by neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) gene therapy with a peripheral delivery route relays the supraspinal commands from the CST and RST down to the lumbar cord that enables locomotor recovery. Credit: IU School of Medicine

Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have made several novel discoveries in the field of spinal cord injuries (SCI). Most recently, the team led by Xiao-Ming Xu, PhD, has been working to determine how to activate movement after a spinal cord injury at the ninth thoracic level, where nerve fibers from the brain down to the spinal cord are interrupted. Instead of focusing on the injury site, researcher Qi Han and his colleagues modulated the spared lumbar circuits below the injury to improve recovery from SCI, using animal models. The team revealed that neuromodulation of interrupted lumbar motor circuits by neurotrophic therapy improved locomotor performance. These findings are being published in the December 20 issue of Nature Communications. “There are no definitive treatments yet for SCI patients,” said Han. “However, hope for restoring motor function continues to rise, for good reason. We find that, despite no direct damage from thoracic SCI, the lumbar circuit undergoes a profound neurodegeneration, which we have highlighted as a promising new therapeutic target for promoting neuroprotection.”

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