Implanted Electrodes Help Stroke Patients Regain Movement, Study Finds

The study is the first successful demonstration of spinal cord stimulation to address paralysis in the limbs of stroke patients

For decades, specialists have used spinal cord stimulation to treat chronic pain, and in recent years experiment delivering stimulation have shown promise in patients with spinal cord injuries.

But this strategy is unusual in stroke patients, in part because of the location and type of damage. This could be changing, though. Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon published findings this week in Nature Medicine showing that it is possible to stimulate the spinal cords of stroke patients in a way that addresses weakness and paralysis in their arms and legs. The study involved just two patients, and questions remain about the technique's effectiveness and applicability, but with more research it could open the door to a new way of treating paralysis in some stroke patients. 

To read more about this development, check out this story in The New York Times.