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Scientists Induce Paralysed Rats to Run Again
The next step is to develop devices that can be implanted inside the body.
"We are now designing neuro-prostheses, arrays of electrodes that fit like a second skin between the vertebrae and the spinal cord," Courtine explained.
A strip measuring three centimetres (1.2 inches) long and one hundredth of a centimetre thick, the device is described as "minimally invasive" because it does not penetrate into the spinal cord.
Courtine and colleagues are currently testing the neuro-prostheses on rats, and expect to have an interface for humans within four years.
The new technique is designed to help patients with incomplete but severe injuries, such as those who cannot walk independently.
"For these people, it is highly likely that this approach will improve their function," he said.
The mix of electrical stimulation and physical therapy may be enough to restore significant mobility in many patients, but the addition of drugs "would be extremely beneficial," he added.
In the rat experiments, the researchers injected so-called serotonergic agonists, a compound that mimics the effect of the neurotransmitter serotonin and activates receptors in the central and peripheral nervous system.
There are approximately a quarter of a million persons with serious spinal cord injuries in the United States, according to the Foundation for Spinal Cord Injury, Prevention, Care and Cure. Other sources estimate the total worldwide at 2.5 million.
Nearly half of all spinal cord injuries are caused by automobile accidents, and more than half occur among young people between 16 and 30 years old.
Source-AFP
RAS
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