The epidural stimulation has again hit the mainstream media with the scientific publication news of 4 out of 4 people getting recovery in the journal Brain. Here’s that publication.
We covered all the latest information last month (March 2nd, 4th and 5th) in 3 posts about the actual development of the newest sophisticated devices and their future clinical trial enrollment listings if you care to click on the March archive button to the right. (Today’s news media articles don’t cover any of those latest translational developments). There are efforts underway to create and market new stimulation devices, primarily by a team from UCLA, Cal Tech and the University of Louisville. A California company, NeuroRecovery Technologies, has obtained the rights to the intellectual property from the three universities.
The epidural stimulation patient information was covered in the January 20th post about the International Neuro Regeneration Report from Asilomar. They have the funds now to enroll eight more patients. Four of them will be the same as the first four as closely as possible (age, time since injury, etc.). The other four will be tested for response to epidural stimulation on cardio function. This comes from one of the first four patients, Andrew Maes, that had blood pressure issues related to autonomic dysreflexia (AD). When the stim was on his blood pressure normalized. If this cardio application can be more widely demonstrated, that’s going to be a much clearer path to the clinic than voluntary movement alone.
But, for those that like to read the articles and see video clips the media have available today concerning patient recovery, I’ll provide the links below.
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2014/nibib-08.htm
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/08/us-science-paralyzed-idUKBREA3707J20140408
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-04/08/paralysis-walk-again
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/08/health/paralysis-breakthrough-spinal-cord/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/08/paraplegics-stimulation-paralysis/7420027/
http://www.king5.com/home/Stimulation-restores-some-function-paralyzed-254356231.html
http://www.kcci.com/health/epidural-stimulation-helps-paraplegics-move-legs/25373152
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25377-pioneering-implant-revives-legs-of-paralysed-men.html?
http://www.newsonwellness.com/2014/04/there-is-hope-for-people-paralyzed-by-spinal-cord-injuries/
http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/04/07/brain.awu038.full
SPINAL CORD INJURY RESEARCH AND SCIENCE 