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     Anand_n Side Hero Username: Anand_n Post Number: 9437 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 70.120.91.149 Rating: N/A |
Paraplegic stands, takes first steps with Medtronic implant Washington Post Updated: 05/19/2011 10:16:10 PM CDT After Rob Summers was struck by a hit-and-run driver in 2006 and left paralyzed from the chest down, he faced the grim prospect of spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair. And despite three years of intensive therapy, he showed no signs of improving. But after becoming the first patient to undergo an experimental treatment, he can now do something no one else in his condition has ever been able to do: stand up; move his hips, knees and ankles; wiggle his toes; and even take a few steps, Summers and his doctors announced Thursday. "This procedure has completely changed my life," Summers, 25, of Portland, Ore., said of the treatment, which involved stimulating his spinal cord with implanted electrodes. "For someone who for four years was unable to even move a toe, to have the freedom and ability to stand on my own is the most amazing feeling." Summers, an Oregon State University championship pitcher before his accident, remains mostly bound to his wheelchair, and his doctors cautioned that much more research is needed before other paralyzed patients could try the treatment or they would know how much movement it might restore. But the researchers and others said Summers' improvement is unprecedented and could herald a new era for at least some paralysis victims. "This is a breakthrough," said Susan Harkema of the University of Louisville (Ky.), who led the research, which was described in a paper to be published online today by the journal Researchers previously have been able to use electrical stimulation of muscles to produce some movement in patients with spinal cord injuries. But Summers marks the first time any paralyzed patient has regained the ability to consciously move parts of the body by directly stimulating the spinal cord, which apparently reactivates the nerve circuits that remain intact. "It sounds like a pun, but this report is 'an important step' in a process of scientific discovery and translation," said Naomi Kleitman of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, which funded the research with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. The treatment involves surgically implanting a small strip of electrodes along the lower spinal cord that sends electrical signals designed to mimic those that had been sent by the brain to stimulate movement. The approach was tried on Summers after years of studies in animals indicated such stimulation could reactivate communication between the brain and paralyzed limbs. After the device was implanted, Summers and the researchers went through two years of intensive training to determine the exact stimulation that would enable Summers to move. It required identifying precisely what combination of stimulation to the spinal cord and body position would enable Summers to move a toe versus an ankle, rise to a standing position or take a step in response to thinking about making that movement. "It was absolutely incredible," Summers said of the feeling when he stood again for the first time. "There are not enough words to describe what I felt. It was an amazing feeling." The device, called RestoreADVANCED, is sold by Fridley-based Medtronic for a different purpose - to control pain. Medtronic wasn't involved in the study, though it supports "exploration of new applications for spinal cord stimulation," the company said in an emailed statement. "We are intrigued by the results of the study and pleased the patient is doing well," Medtronic said. It remains unclear exactly how the process works. But the stimulation appears to essentially reboot the spinal cord's neural network and connection with the brain and combine that with sensory information that nerves and pathways in the legs continue to transmit back to the spinal cord, the researchers said. "These neurons are very smart. They know what to do," Reggie Edgerton of the University of California-Los Angeles said during a telephone briefing for reporters. "They can sense all of the sensory information coming from the legs. They know exactly what is happening to your lower limbs. Not only can they sense and feel what's happening, but they know what to do next." As a result, once the spinal cord is stimulated and Summers moves in a certain way, such as putting weight on his legs as he leans forward and thinks about standing, he is able to pull himself to an erect position. "We have no idea what the mechanisms are, but it's pretty certain that the stimulation and the training have resulted in changes in the brain and changes in the spinal cord," Edgerton said. Summers' ability to move lasts only while the stimulator is activated, and doctors are limiting his use to a few hours at a time. But Summers, who said he feels an intense tingling sensation when the electrodes are activated, has also regained some sensation in his lower body, including the ability to feel injections as well as control over his bladder and some sexual function. The researchers cautioned that even in the best scenario, the treatment is not a cure for paralysis. Moreover, Summers had retained some feeling below his injury and it remained unclear how the treatment would work with patients with other, more extreme types of injuries. "We have a long road ahead," Harkema said. But Summers said he was optimistic that he eventually would be able to walk again - and even perhaps someday resume playing baseball. "This has been an incredible journey for me," Summers said. "At one point, it was just a dream, and now it's a reality, and now I'm taking literally the next step." Bloomberg News contributed to this report. aa chal ke tujhe main leke chalu ik aise gagan ke tale jahan gam bhi na ho, aansoo bhi na ho,bas pyaar hi pyaar pale | ||
| Anand_n Side Hero Username: Anand_n Post Number: 9436 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 70.120.91.149 Rating: N/A |
Expire ayinattu undi news story.. here's a text link.. http://www.twincities.com/news/ci_18100742?source=rss aa chal ke tujhe main leke chalu ik aise gagan ke tale jahan gam bhi na ho, aansoo bhi na ho,bas pyaar hi pyaar pale | ||
| Chichubuddi Junior Artist Username: Chichubuddi Post Number: 314 Registered: 12-2010 Posted From: 99.82.249.166 Rating: N/A |
Anand, naku videos evi kanapadatledu | ||
| Anand_n Side Hero Username: Anand_n Post Number: 9435 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 70.120.91.149 Rating: N/A |
Thank you - will keep it for future reference. aa chal ke tujhe main leke chalu ik aise gagan ke tale jahan gam bhi na ho, aansoo bhi na ho,bas pyaar hi pyaar pale | ||
| Sanman Side Hero Username: Sanman Post Number: 2545 Registered: 08-2010 Posted From: 71.199.91.151 Rating: N/A |
anand garu meeko gift - bit.ly pululu simhaalu antu emi undavu. just a matter of convenience http://i51.tinypic.com/rsv53o.jpg | ||
| Anand_n Side Hero Username: Anand_n Post Number: 9433 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 70.120.91.149 Rating: N/A |
The most inspiring story I read today  Brain and spinal cord training therapy helps a paraplegic man walk again - hats off to the researchers http://www.yahoo.com/_ylt=AkyTFEn7Hmkf40_tKwFVAZ6bvZx4;_ylc=X3oDMThtMW0yaDJ1BF9TAzIwMjM1MzgwNzUEYQMxMTA1MjAgbmV3cy BwYXJhbHl6ZWQgbWFuIGJyZWFrdGhyb3VnaCBJVgRjcG9zAzMyBGcDaWQtOT M0NzMEaW50bAN1cwRpdGMDMARsdHh0A05ld3RoZXJhcHkEbXBvcwMxBHBrZ3 QDNARwa2d2AzE5BHBvcwMzBHNlYwN0ZC1mZWF0BHNsawNtb3JlBHRhcgNodH RwOi8vbmV3cy55YWhvby5jb20vdmlkZW8vdXMtMTU3NDk2MjUvcGFyYXBsZW dpYy1zdGFuZHMtdXAtZHVlLXRvLXBpb25lZXJpbmctcmVzZWFyY2gtMjUyOT I0MTMEdGVzdAMzODMEd29lAzEyNzkyMDE1/SIG=13ke4tjhq/EXP=1306091 927/**http%3A//news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/paraplegic-s tands-up-due-to-pioneering-research-25292413 Copy paste the whole link to watch the video aa chal ke tujhe main leke chalu ik aise gagan ke tale jahan gam bhi na ho, aansoo bhi na ho,bas pyaar hi pyaar pale |
