Working with human research participants, Hirsch and researchers at the Kentucky Spinal Cord injury Research Center at UofL, have found that spinal
cord epidural stimulation can safely and effectively elevate blood pressure in individuals with SCI along with chronic hypotension.
Working with human research participants, Hirsch and researchers at the Kentucky Spinal Cord injury Research Center (KSCIRC) at UofL, have found that spinal
cord epidural stimulation can safely and effectively elevate blood pressure in individuals with SCI along with chronic hypotension.
This work builds on previous research at KSCIRC showing benefits of spinal
cord epidural stimulation, along with activity - based training, in which individuals with SCI have achieved voluntary movement, standing and stepping, and improved bladder, bowel and sexual function.
Not exact matches
This study will include 36 people with spinal
cord injuries who will be treated with
epidural stimulation — a technique in which a device is used to apply electrical current to the spinal
cord.
Prior to
epidural stimulation, they had all suffered chronic conditions caused by completely severed spinal
cords.
Research in animals with spinal injuries has shown that this type of
epidural stimulation can activate neural circuits in the spinal
cord and enable them to use sensory information from the legs to coordinate the muscle contractions necessary for standing and taking a step, Edgerton said at the press conference.
These results were achieved through continual direct
epidural electrical
stimulation of the participants» lower spinal
cords, mimicking signals the brain normally transmits to initiate movement.
Four young men who have been paralyzed for years achieved groundbreaking progress — moving their legs — as a result of
epidural electrical
stimulation of the spinal
cord, an international team of life scientists at the University of Louisville, UCLA and the Pavlov Institute of Physiology reported today in the medical journal Brain.
To that end, UofL is screening participants for a six - year study that will further explore the life - enhancing effects of
epidural stimulation on people with spinal
cord injury (SCI).
«
Epidural stimulation shown to normalize blood pressure following spinal
cord injury: Research supports future study of beneficial effects of
stimulation.»
That study will measure the extent to which
epidural stimulation will improve cardiovascular function as well as facilitate the ability to stand and voluntarily control leg movements below the injury level in 36 participants with chronic, complete spinal
cord injuries.
Darrel made the decision to have electrodes surgically implanted over his spinal
cord in 2016 to test out a treatment known as
epidural stimulation in the hopes of improving some of the side effects.
«
Epidural stimulation electrodes are implanted during surgery and are located right on the surface of the spinal
cord, so they require little current to activate the spinal
cord,» Moritz explained.