Three people with a muscle-destroying disease destined to worsen got a little stronger -- able to stand and walk more easily -- when an implanted device zapped their spinal cord.
Boosting communication between the spinal nerves and the muscles using the spinal cord stimulation reverses spinal muscle atrophy (SMA) progression and could be applied to other motoneuron diseases, ...
In a small human trial in SMA patients neurostimulation sessions improved motoneuron function, reduced fatigue, and improved leg muscle strength and walking.