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Fighting Paralysis With Electricity

Posted by samzenpus on from the jolt-to-the-system dept.

the_newsbeagle writes "In spinal cord injuries, the brain's commands can't reach the lower body — so in a ground-breaking experiment at the University of Louisville, researchers are providing artificial commands via electrodes implanted in the spine. The first paralyzed people to try out the tech have already been able to stand on their own, and have regained some bowel and sexual function. A video that accompanies the article also shows paralyzed rats that were able to walk again with this kind of electrical stimulation."

5 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. Shocking news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    really

  2. Great! by Jmc23 · · Score: 2, Funny
    Another couple of decades and they'll 'discover' that electrical stimulation of nerve pathways with acupuncture needles can 'restore' nerve pathways to functionning.

    I'm certainly glad I can urinate easily and stand on my right leg without electrodes.

    --
    Don't complain about syntax, grammar, or spelling. There is no.hell like input on android.
  3. Oblig. by SeaFox · · Score: 5, Funny

    The first paralyzed people to try out the tech have already been able to stand on their own, and have regained some bowel and sexual function.

    Gives new meaning to the phrase "getting turned on".

  4. Oblig XKCD by kybur · · Score: 5, Funny

    http://xkcd.com/644/

  5. For Great Justice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    "In spinal cord injuries, the brain's commands can't reach the lower body — so in a ground-breaking experiment at the University of Louisville, researchers are providing artificial commands via electrodes implanted in the spine. The first paralyzed people to try out the tech have already been able to stand on their own, and have regained some bowel and sexual function.

    I pray that somewhere out there, a poor paralyzed Japanese girl is finally getting this technology.

    You know, just so that after it's implanted, she can exclaim, "Onii-chan, my hips are moving on their own!"