Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Targeted stimulation of the spinal cord to restore locomotor activity

A new study has located 'hot spots' in the rat spinal cord that are associated with leg flexion and extension in rats. Electrical stimulation applied in an alternating pattern between these hot spots facilitated locomotion after the hindlimbs were paralyzed as a result of spinal cord injury (SCI).

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Wenger et al.8 were able to identify hot spots on the epidural surface of the spinal cords of rats where epidural stimulation (ES) elicited flexion and extension.

References

  1. Furlan, J.C., Krassioukov, A., Miller, W.C. & Trenaman, L.M. Epidemiology of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. 1–121. (Vancouver, 2014).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Prochazka, A. Technology to enhance arm and hand function. in Oxford Textbook of Neurorehabilitation (Oxford Textbooks in Clinical Neurology). (eds., V. Dietz & N. Ward) Ch. 31, 374–384 (Oxford University Press, 2015).

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Rattay, F., Minassian, K. & Dimitrijevic, M.R. Spinal Cord 38, 473–489 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Dimitrijevic, M.R., Gerasimenko, Y. & Pinter, M.M. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 860, 360–376 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Herman, R., He, J., D'Luzansky, S., Willis, W. & Dilli, S. Spinal Cord 40, 65–68 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Carhart, M.R., He, J., Herman, R., D'Luzansky, S. & Willis, W.T. IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng. 12, 32–42 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Harkema, S. et al. Lancet 377, 1938–1947 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Wenger, N. et al. Nat. Med. 22, 143–150 (2016).

  9. Yakovenko, S., Mushahwar, V., VanderHorst, V., Holstege, G. & Prochazka, A. J. Neurophysiol. 87, 1542–1553 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Gan, L.S., Prochazka, A., Bornes, T.D., Denington, A.A. & Chan, K.M. IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 54, 509–517 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Granat, M.H., Heller, B.W., Nicol, D.J., Baxendale, R.H. & Andrews, B.J. J. Biomed. Eng. 15, 51–56 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Prochazka, A. & Yakovenko, S. Integr. Comp. Biol. 47, 474–481 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arthur Prochazka.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Prochazka, A. Targeted stimulation of the spinal cord to restore locomotor activity. Nat Med 22, 125–126 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.4043

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.4043

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing