Spinal cord injury occurs when there is damage to the spinal cord that blocks communication between the brain and the body. TxBDC researchers are developing Targeted Plasticity Therapy (TPT) to reorganize the nervous system to treat spinal cord injury with the goal of dramatically reducing the cost of delivery of this therapy to patients. The Center’s recent clinical research has demonstrated the potential to treat tinnitus and improve motor function in stroke patients. We fully expect to extend this success to patients with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy in the near future.
TxBDC has developed technology to guide the recovery of arm and leg movements after a brain injury or diseas. The technology uses sensors to monitor movements and trigger the ReStore vagus nerve stimulator, strengthening specific neural connections. The RePlay System monitors hand movements as patients play games, triggering stimulation of the vagus nerve allowing patients to improve arm movements using an app on their smart phone and can be done at home.
eLife: Closed-loop neuromodulation restores network connectivity and motor control after spinal cord injury
Behavioural Brain Research: Awake behaving electrophysiological correlates of forelimb hyperreflexia, weakness and disrupted muscular synchronization following cervical spinal cord injury in the rat
eLife: Spinal Cord Injury: Is the vagus nerve our neural connectome?
D Magazine: This UTD engineer is saving people from endless misery
Wings for Life: Promoting Recovery from Cervical SCI by Pairing Rehabilitation with Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation: Viva the Vagus: Stimulation Boosts SCI Recovery Stimulation
Our goal is to fund the next phase of Targeted Plasticity Therapy to treat spinal cord injury and to dramatically reduce the cost to deliver this therapy to patients. SUPPORT TxBDC >>
