For many patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease, walking normally simply isn’t possible. Scientists believe this is because Parkinson’s disrupts the signals that the brain and the legs send to each other in order to move. Based upon this inference, scientists in Canada have been testing implants on Parkinson’s that gives a little electric stimulation to the spine in order to boost the signals that the brain sends to the legs, and back. The result? It worked. The electrical stimulus was found to reawaken the feedback mechanism from legs to the brain that has been damaged by the disease, allowing the patients to walk freely once more. What was even more fascinating is that the treatment was long-lasting and worked even when the implant was turned off. Although more widespread tests of the implant will have to be conducted, the results paint a brighter future for people with Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s patients walk freely once more thanks to electrical stimulus
More of Today's Solutions
Revitalizing coral reefs across the Caribbean with sustainable breeding and r...
SECORE International, an organization dedicated to preserving coral reefs for future generations, is at the forefront of coral restoration initiatives. SECORE, founded on the ...
Read MoreThe art and science of mastering the “flow state”
Flow, also known as being "in the zone," is a state of heightened creativity that leads to unprecedented productivity and pleasant consciousness. Psychologists believe ...
Read MoreA previously extinct bird species has re-evolved itself back from the dead
A once-extinct species of bird has re-evolved back into existence and returned to the island it once colonized thousands of years ago. The Aldabra ...
Read MoreInnovative nanomaterial inspired by butterfly wings offers colorful cooling s...
In a society plagued by increasing temperatures and concerns about the environment, biomimicry offers a game-changing solution to keeping cool. Scientists from Shenzhen University ...
Read More
