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One small step means giant leap for spinal cord research
December 15, 2005New device assists walking in patients with spinal cord damage
A new device developed at the University of Toronto that stimulates the muscles of patients with spinal cord injuries helps to increase walking function in those whose condition is not expected to improve.
U of T researchers have found that functional electrical stimulation (FES), a process that sends controlled bursts of electricity through the skin and into muscles, can help patients improve their step frequency, stride length and overall walking speed.
"This is a group of patients in which recovery is not expected," says Professor Milos Popovic of the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering and the study's senior researcher. "We got them on a treadmill and worked with them and 18 weeks later we saw quite a considerable improvement."
Five patients, whose spinal cord injuries had taken place from two to 24 years prior to the study, completed two to five sessions per week of FES therapy. After practising with physiotherapists, the patients learned how to trigger their leg muscles as they walked. Over the course of 12 to 18 weeks, the patients gradually improved - one woman was even able to stop using a full-length leg brace while walking.
While the patients' walking skills had decreased 10 weeks after treatment finished, the team found that overall walking skills were still considerably better than before the therapy. "It's truly rewarding when the patients are happy and they write you a little card saying, Without you, I could not walk," Popovic says. "In the next couple of years, I believe someone is going to develop a functional electrical stimulator that is suitable for this type of therapy and get it on the market," he says.
Popovic and colleagues are now conducting a similar study on a larger scale.
University of Toronto
"This is a group of patients in which recovery is not expected," says Professor Milos Popovic of the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering and the study's senior researcher. "We got them on a treadmill and worked with them and 18 weeks later we saw quite a considerable improvement."
Five patients, whose spinal cord injuries had taken place from two to 24 years prior to the study, completed two to five sessions per week of FES therapy. After practising with physiotherapists, the patients learned how to trigger their leg muscles as they walked. Over the course of 12 to 18 weeks, the patients gradually improved - one woman was even able to stop using a full-length leg brace while walking.
While the patients' walking skills had decreased 10 weeks after treatment finished, the team found that overall walking skills were still considerably better than before the therapy. "It's truly rewarding when the patients are happy and they write you a little card saying, Without you, I could not walk," Popovic says. "In the next couple of years, I believe someone is going to develop a functional electrical stimulator that is suitable for this type of therapy and get it on the market," he says.
Popovic and colleagues are now conducting a similar study on a larger scale.
University of Toronto
Spinal Cord Current Events and Spinal Cord News RSSCancer metabolism discovery uncovers new role of IDH1 gene mutation in brain cancer
Agios Pharmaceuticals today announced that its scientists have established, for the first time, that the mutated IDH1 gene has a novel enzyme activity consistent with a cancer-causing gene, or oncogene.
Drug studied as possible treatment for spinal injuries
Researchers have shown how an experimental drug might restore the function of nerves damaged in spinal cord injuries by preventing short circuits caused when tiny "potassium channels" in the fibers are exposed.
Scripps research scientists find new link between insulin and core body temperature
A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a direct link between insulin-a hormone long associated with metabolism and metabolic disorders such as diabetes-and core body temperature.
UCI embryonic stem cell therapy restores walking ability in rats with neck injuries
The first human embryonic stem cell treatment approved by the FDA for human testing has been shown to restore limb function in rats with neck spinal cord injuries - a finding that could expand the clinical trial to include people with cervical damage.
Findings show nanomedicine promising for treating spinal cord injuries
Researchers at Purdue University have discovered a new approach for repairing damaged nerve fibers in spinal cord injuries using nano-spheres that could be injected into the blood shortly after an accident.
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.
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