Paralysed rats are helped to walk again using a remote control
The rats used in the study were paralysed by having their spinal cords severed in the middle back, which prevented brain signals reaching the lower spinal cord.
But, sending an electric current into spinal nerves via surgical implants enabled them to walk while held upright on a treadmill.
Scientists have designed the Gait Platform - a human-sized version of the apparatus used to study walking in the rats - for clinical trials.
The research could lead to rehabilitative therapies that may help partially paralyzed human patients with spinal injuries walk more naturally.
During the experiments, movements were controlled by altering the electrical signal.
Treated animals walked over one thousand successive steps without failure, and negotiated stairs of various heights and lengths.
The research is part of a European project called NEUWalk that aims to test the epidural electrical stimulation (EES) technology in human patients as early as next summer.
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