Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, grafted neural progenitor cells from fetal rats into lesions in the adult rat spinal cords either two weeks or six months after injury. In both groups, the results looked nearly identical: the…
Month: November 2014
An interactive map of cure related clinical trials
A useful resource for looking at spinal cord injury related clinical trials: http://www.curemap.org/
A spinal cord injury can also cause brain damage
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) researchers have found for the first time that spinal cord injuries (SCI) can cause widespread and sustained brain inflammation that leads to progressive loss of nerve cells, with associated cognitive problems and…
Neurosurgeons implant the world's first scaffold into a patient's spinal cord
Performed last month, the surgery involves inserting a bioresorbable scaffolding implant to act as a bridge across the gap of the injured section of the cord in an attempt to help the spinal cord heal. This first case is part…
Serotonin causes spasms in spinal cord injury patients
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark studied the enzyme L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) in animal models with spinal cord injury and Parkinson’s disease. The enzyme, the researchers believe, contribute to the manufacture of serotonin. The serotonin activates muscle…
Watch Prof Reggie Edgerton's presentation on neurmomodulation
At the 2014 Working 2 Walk Symposium Prof Edgerton gave a widely anticipated talk on his work with electrical stimulation / neuromodulation of the spinal cord. He and Prof Susan Harkema are leading the field of epidural stimulation which has…
Optical triggering of spinal cord neurons to control motor functions
MIT researchers have demonstrated a highly flexible neural probe made entirely of polymers that can both optically stimulate and record neural activity in a mouse spinal cord — a step toward developing prosthetic devices that can restore functionality to damaged…
Paralyzed patients have weaker bones and a higher risk of fractures than expected
People paralyzed by spinal cord injuries lose mechanical strength in their leg bones faster, and more significantly, than previously believed, putting them at greater risk for fractures from minor stresses, according to a new study by a research team at…