Regenerating Spinal Cord Fibers: Key to Treating Stroke-Related Disabilities?

Investigators at Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital have found significant evidence that a regenerative process of damaged nerve fibers in the spinal cord could fill in functional recovery gaps for stroke victims. While many of those who suffer a stroke are able to regain use of their hands and other body parts, about fifty percent still experience weakness on one side of their bodies and others are permanently disabled.

For this study, published in Stroke, researchers focused on axons in the spinal cord and facilitated behavioral tests on mice. One researcher believes that the findings of this study may offer “a treatment target to develop rational therapeutic approaches to enhance neurological recovery for the mass of chronic stroke patients.” Click here to read the full article.