Kinesthetic Sense Key to Restoring Movement After Spinal Cord Injury
Lampreys may use body-sensing feedback to regain swimming abilities after spinal injury, according to a mathematical model developed by researchers at Bucknell University and the Marine Biological Laboratory. The model showed that even in the absence of descending command across the spinal lesion, boosting sensory feedback could restore locomotion. Lampreys recover quickly and almost completely after severe lesions high up in the spinal cord, despite only a small percentage of neurons and neuronal connections being restored across the injury. The study could inspire new therapeutic approaches in humans or algorithms for locomotion in soft robots.