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Marcus Donner/Center for Neurotechnology
Research participant Jon Schlueter works with Dr. Fatma Inanici, as she tests his motor skills early in the study.
Almost 18,000 Americans experience traumatic spinal cord injuries every year. Many of these people are unable to use their hands and arms and can’t do everyday tasks such as eating, grooming or drinking water without help.
In a small study of physical therapy combined with a noninvasive method of stimulating spinal-cord nerve cells, University of Washington researchers helped six Seattle-area participants regain some hand and arm mobility. That increased mobility lasted three to six months after treatment ended. The research team published the findings this month in the journal IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering.