Stimulating parts of the brain can help the paralysed to walk again
Implanted electrodes allowed one man to climb stairs unaided
The spinal cord is the control cable that connects the brain to the rest of the body. If it is severed, people lose the ability to move their body below the site of the injury. But if it is only partly cut, the brain can sometimes adapt to the damage. Some people who are paralysed by a spinal-cord injury can gradually regain at least a limited ability to walk.
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This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Brainpower”
From the December 7th 2024 edition
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