Paralysis

Electrical spinal stimulation can help paralyzed people walk again. In a promising new clinical trial, scientists have identified the specific neurons being stimulated, and found that patients can still walk even after the implant was turned off.

In a world-first clinical trial, three babies have been born after receiving stem cell treatment for spina bifida. A stem cell patch is applied to the fetus’ spine while still developing in the womb, and early results are promising one year on.

In what is being described as a world-first, scientists in Israel have reportedly grown spinal cord implants utilizing tissue extracted from human volunteers. Those implants were then used to restore walking abilities to previously paralyzed mice.

Spinal cord injuries are among the most debilitating. In a new breakthrough study, Northwestern University researchers have developed a gel containing “dancing molecules” that allowed paralyzed mice to walk again four weeks after a single injection.

Researchers have demonstrated, for the first time, a brain implant turning neural activity into full words. The first participant in the trial, a paralyzed man, can now speak with a vocabulary of 50 words by simply thinking about vocalizing words.

Although there are systems that allow physically challenged users to communicate by twitching facial muscles, for some people even those muscle movements are impossible. A new setup offers a possible alternative, however, by going into the ear.

The team behind a project known as BrainGate have made a major breakthrough, demonstrating a wireless brain-computer interface that can read and transmit neural signals at a bandwidth that is on par with wired systems.

Unfortunately there isn’t much that doctors can do to repair the damage after a spinal cord injury. But UCLA researchers have shown in tests in mice that injections of a porous scaffold material can help the body patch up the damage.

German scientists have restored the ability to walk in mice that had been paralyzed by a complete spinal cord injury. The team created a “designer” signaling protein and injected it into the animals’ brains, stimulating nerve cells to regenerate.

One of their more promising applications for brain computer interfaces involves allowing sufferers of paralysis to regain control of prosthetic devices, something scientists have now demonstrated with a first-of-a-kind plug-and-play device.

If someone is lacking a hand, a prosthetic appendage can help them perform basic daily tasks. However, what if they've still got both hands, but one of them is paralyzed? Well, that's where NeoMano is designed to come in.

​When a spinal cord injury occurs, sometimes it's the body's own immune system that causes the subsequent paralysis. In the not-too-distant future, however, it's possible that an injection of nanoparticles at the injury site may be able to rein in the well-meaning but destructive immune cells.