Spinal

The authors of a new study have found that spinal cord stimulation can not only reduce pain in Parkinson's subjects where other treatments have failed, but also improved motor symptoms in almost three quarters of the patients tested.

In some neurological disorders neuronal connections in the brain can be lost. Now researchers have created synthetic molecules that may be able to patch them up, with tests in cultured cells and mice showing promise in treating disease and injury.

Scientists have redesigned an enzyme found in nature that selectively untangles scarring in a way that promotes regrowth of injured nerve cells, opening up new pathways in the development of treatments for spinal cord injuries and stroke.

Axons, the long nerve fibers that pass signals between neurons, can't regenerate after injury. But now researchers have found that boosting a certain protein helps patch up axons, returning more movement and feeling to mice with spinal cord injuries.

Scientists may have uncovered an effective new treatment for muscle spasms associated with spinal cord injuries, in the form of an existing blood pressure medication that proved capable of halting their progression in mice.

Not only are herniated discs painful and debilitating, but treatments for them leave something to be desired. A new technique, however, may be more effective than anything that's come before.

Scientists at the University of California San Diego are reporting a breakthrough in spinal injury research, demonstrating a new injection technique in mice they say can deliver far larger doses of stem cells to problem areas with far less risk.

​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.

​As the shock-absorbing cartilage discs between our vertebrae degenerate due to aging, accidents or overuse, severe back pain can result. While some scientists have developed purely synthetic replacement discs, a recent test on goats indicates that bioengineered discs may be a better way to go.

A new study describes progress in a groundbreaking technique that is helping paraplegic patients walk again. The experimental process, involving electrically stimulating the spinal cord, is proving increasingly promising as research works to improve the design of the treatment.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have designed a silicone device, covered in 3D-printed neuronal stem cells, that can be implanted into a spinal injury. There it grows new connections between remaining nerves to let patients regain some motor control.

A team of researchers has successfully regenerated spinal tissue in rat models. Using a common antibiotic as the on/off switch, the therapy breaks down scar tissue and allows new nerve cells to grow, resulting in rats with spinal injuries relearning complex hand movements.