Rhythmic circuitry research could aid spinal cord injury sufferersRSS Feed

22 September 2009

Breakthrough research into rhythmic circuitry could aid future treatments for spinal cord injuries, it has been claimed.

Scientists at the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) tested paralyzed rats' reactions to electric currents, with the animals given tailored drugs to instigate movement.

The critters, which had been unable to move their hind legs before the study, managed periods of sustained walking on a treadmill and were able to hold their bodies up unaided.

Further sessions saw the participants in the tests develop the ability to travel in all directions.

UCLA has speculated similar techniques could be transferred to humans in the future with the use of neuro-prosthetic devices.

Principal investigator Reggie Edgerton, a professor of neurobiology and physiological sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the educational institution, said: "While other researchers have elicited similar leg movements in people with complete spinal injuries, they have not achieved full weight-bearing and sustained stepping as we have in our study."

The research follows a recent report published by staff at the St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute, who found natural hydrogels could be a suitable treatment for spinal cord injuries.

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