Hi all --
I wanted you to be the first I shared this news with -- instead of trying to
paraphrase, let me just give you a few paragraphs of detail.
Rob Summers, a 25-year-old Portland, Oregon man, who was paralyzed below his
chest with a C7/T1 injury as a result of a car accident in 2006, is standing
and stepping with assistance, and voluntarily moving his legs for the first tim
e since his injury.
In this study, continual direct epidural electrical stimulation to the
subject’s lower spinal cord mimicks the signals his brain would normally send
to initiate movement. This coupled with intense locomotor training is
responsible for the subject’s unprecedented functional recovery.
The subject is able to stand supplying the muscular push himself and can remain
standing, bearing his full weight, for up to four minutes at a time and up to
an hour with periodic assistance. In addition to some functional recovery,
relief from some of the secondary complications of complete spinal cord injury
(for example, loss of bladder and sexual function) could be even more
significant.
Aided by a harness and some therapist assistance, he can make repeated stepping
motions on a treadmill. He can also voluntarily move his toes, ankles, knees
and hips on command.
Read more about the study here - http://bit.ly/iSfKnH
Best wishes to you all
Nancy
Nancy Purcell
for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
www.christopherreeve.org
