Pavlov Institute of Physiology

Five men with complete motor paralysis regained the ability to move their legs voluntarily after being treated with a non-invasive form of spinal cord stimulation called transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, which involves strategically placing electrodes on the skin of the lower back.

In 2011, paraplegic Rob Summers was able to temporarily regain limited use of his legs, thanks to an experimental technique known as epidural electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. Now, in a new study, Summers and three other paraplegic test subjects have shown even more promising results.