Electric Therapy helps Muscle SpasticityOctober 24, 2002Researchers in Austria who have been trying to overcome spasticity in people with spinal cord injury have made significant progress that might, in the future, help patients to stand. A technique called spinal cord stimulation is showing promise for people whose legs are bent and stiffened due to damaged nerves as a result of injury. Dr Michaela Pinter from the Neurological Rehabilitation Centre Rosenhügel in Vienna, in collaboration with Univ. Prof. Dr. Binder at the Neurogical Centre Otto Wagner Spital and his team, worked with 10 patients. The electrodes were placed on the lower thoracic part of their spine, which stimulated the lumbar spinal cord, causing the muscle to relax. "Patients with severe spasticity cannot keep their legs in a straight and relaxed position. The involuntary action of the damage spinal cord means that their legs go into spasm and stay in a flexed position. Spinal cord stimulation can even enable a patient to stand with support," said Dr Pinter. Furthermore, this technique unmasked muscle functions of the lower limbs that were affected, and in some cases improved bladder control. Patients were able to control their spasticity as they could adjust the levels of stimulation. Some patients in the study experienced more sensation and they found an improvement in their bladder or bowel control as well as the stability of the trunk region of the body "This means that there is less interference in their daily activities and they can live a more normal life without the fear or inconvenience of a sudden spasm," said Dr Pinter. Until now, the effects of spinal cord stimulation have only been described in people with mild and moderate spastictiy. The group in Vienna examined the effect on severe spasticity and have seen for the first time the positive effect of spinal cord stimulation on severe spasticity in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury. This is not a `miracle cure` but it is an important step in helping people with injured spinal cord to regain their independence. END Snell Communications Ltd |
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| Related Spinal Cord Current Events and Spinal Cord News Articles Researchers explore new ways to prevent spinal cord damage using a vitamin B3 precursor Substances naturally produced by the human body may one day help prevent paralysis following a spinal cord injury, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College. A recent $2.5 million grant from the New York State Spinal Cord Injury Research Board will fund their research investigating this possibility. Researchers identify drug candidate for treating spinal muscular atrophy A chemical cousin of the common antibiotic tetracycline might be useful in treating spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a currently incurable disease that is the leading genetic cause of death in infants. Master regulator found for regenerating nerve fibers in live animals Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston report that an enzyme known as Mst3b, previously identified in their lab, is essential for regenerating damaged axons (nerve fibers) in a live animal model, in both the peripheral and central nervous systems. Researchers find ways to encourage spinal cord regeneration after injury Animal research is suggesting new ways to aid recovery after spinal cord injury. New studies demonstrate that diet affects recovery rate and show how to make stem cell therapies safer for spinal injury patients. MIT: Muscle 'synergies' may be key to stroke treatment Researchers at MIT and San Camillo Hospital in Venice, Italy, have shown that motor impairments in stroke patients can be understood as impairments in specific combinations of muscle activity, known as synergies. Compound shows potential for slowing progression of ALS A chemical cousin of a drug currently used to treat sepsis dramatically slows the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, in mice. New findings on the formation of body pigment The skin's pigment cells can be formed from completely different cells than has hitherto been thought, a new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows. The results, which are published in the journal Cell, also mean the discovery of a new kind of stem cell. Investment in Parkinson's disease data bank yields potential therapy Individuals with Parkinson's disease who have higher levels of a metabolite called urate in their blood and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have a slower rate of disease progression. Scientists encouraged by new mouse model's similarities to human ALS A new mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) closely resembles humans with the paralyzing disorder, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may involve a form of sudden, rapid aging of the immune system Premature aging of the immune system appears to play a role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to research scientists from the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, and Sheba Medical Center in Israel. More Spinal Cord Current Events and Spinal Cord News Articles |
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