Numerous new outlets reported on December 13, 2016 about an experimental spinal stimulator being tested by a team led by Dr. Daniel Lu, an associate professor of neurosurgery at UCLA and director of the school's Neuroplasticity and Repair Laboratory. The stimulator has allowed some hand control functionality to be regained by a California man who broke his neck five years ago. The device was implanted in the patient's spine at UCLA.
Read more about this compelling study in the UCLA Newsroom press release.
Dr. Lu has also recently published related research in Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair on engaging cervical spinal cord networks to reenable volitional control of hand function in tetraplegic patients.
This research was supported by the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute and conducted in part in the UCLA Clinical and Translational Research Center.
More information:
Sampling of news outlets: Los Angeles' Channel 5 KTLA-TV and Channel 2 WCBS-TV, United Press International and U.K.'s Daily Mail.
Image caption: Brian Gomez displays movement and strength in his hand after an experimental device was implanted at UCLA.
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