Called spinalNET, this tiny implantable device created at Rice University is hundred times smaller than the width of a piece of hair and has the ability to read the activity of spinal cord neurons in action, which researchers hope will help them identify the severity of spinal cord injuries. With this device, they were able to get “low-noise signals” from hundreds of neurons in the spinal cord, which are typically incredibly difficult to track due to their quick movement. They also hope this technology will one day be used to treat paralysis. Learn more

A clinical trial at the University of Washington found high intensity frequency waves had the ability to help improve hand strength and function in 70% of participants, all whom were quadriplegics. Researchers believe the high intensity waves work by numbing pain fibers that exist within the skin, enabling more signals to reach the spinal cord. Read more

The Mayo Clinic this month released the the findings from phase 1 of a successful spinal cord injury clinical trial that included 10 people with spinal cord injuries. The trial took stem cells from their own fat cells and injected them into their injury sites. Seven out of 10 patients saw an increase in sensation or an increase in strength in various muscles, and 7 of the participants moved up at least one level on the ASIA scale. Learn more

After decades of arduous research by amazing scientists, the future of spinal cord injury research appears to be moving into the exciting direction of brain-computer interface technology. Both China and the US have announced exciting advancements in human trials utilizing this technology, which is a computer chip implanted into the brain that can read brain signals and send them to various parts in the body. To learn more about the NEO System, the brain-interface technology from China click here. And to learn more about Neuralink and its recent success with a quadriplegic undergoing its very first brain implant surgery, click here

NervGen, also known as NVG-291, recently received the FDA’s Fast-Track Designation status to help the drug move quicker through the approval process and human trials have commenced. The researchers behind this drug believe it has the potential to be the first approved treatment to enable neurological recovery. Learn more

Epidural stimulation is the darling of the spinal cord injury research world. The only drawback is that it’s expensive to have a stimulator implanted, which costs approx. $18,000. A new analysis has revealed that external epidural stimulation, which is significantly less expensive, can return leg function as long as three electrodes are used in a specific configuration. Learn more

Gert-Jan Oskam, 40, paralyzed at age 28 in a cycling accident, is walking post-injury thanks to a new method of spinal cord stimulation. Building on an already existing treatment, this new method of spinal cord simulation gives the recipient more control over the movement, resulting in a more natural gait. Learn more

Thanks to the discovery of “dancing molecules” last year at Northwestern University, researchers for the first time have been able to take pluripotent stem cells and turn them into mature neuron cells (with enhanced signaling capabilities) that could one day be transplanted into the spinal cords of people with spinal cord injuries. Learn more

The Perry Cross Foundation and Griffith University in Australia are gearing up for exciting things in spinal cord injury research in 2023. They’re currently searching for five individuals with chronic spinal cord injuries to take part in their groundbreaking trial utilizing a 3D nerve bridge, which will includes the patient’s own stem cells added to the bridge to encourage nerve growth. The participants will undergo intensive rehabilitation as well, including FES, for 16 weeks. Learn more

Researchers now know exactly why electrical stimulation therapy works on people with complete spinal cord injuries thanks to a machine learning algorithm. It was able to identify the exact neurons responsible for leg movement and other movement initiated from the electrical stimulation. Researchers hope to utilize this knowledge to help people gain even more return after their injuries. Read more