Neural bridge bypasses damaged spinal cord to restore hand movement

Spinal cord transection is a devastating permanent injury, and we still don’t have a way to reconnect broken neural pathways in such patients. Instead of fixing the injury, researchers from Japan’s Science and Technology Agency and the University of Washington developed an electronic bypass system that tapped neural signals above a spinal lesion in a monkey for transmission . This signal was recreated and reintroduced below the lesion, and effectively helped restore volitional movement in the animal’s weakened hand.

Source: medgadget.comAdded: 16 April 2013