After several weeks of neurorehabilitation with a combination of robotic harness and electro-chemical stimulation, previously paralyzed rats are not only voluntarily initiating a walking gate, but they are soon sprinting, climbing up stairs and avoiding obstacles.EPFL
Brain engagement and nerve stimulation work together to help paralyzed rats regain the ability to walk: Engaging the rats in specific tasks, such as obtaining a treat, while stimulating the spinal cord and forcing the animals to mimic walking movements a Swiss-led team of international scientists was able to restore voluntary movement. The results, published today (May 31) in Science, gives insight into how the nervous system reorganizes to compensate for severe spinal injuries and points to future strategies for treating patients with paralyzed limbs.
“The crux of the study is that if you do [rehab] right, you can restore voluntary control through new [nerve] circuits,” explained Michael Beattie, a neuroscientist at the Brain and Spinal Injury Center at the University of California, San Francisco, ...
