Does a paralysis treatment have to involve a medical device or drug directly connected to or touching the spinal column?  Our San Diego paralysis attorneys were surprised to find out that might not always be the case.

According to Reuters, Several Northeastern universities have collaborated on a paralysis treatment that involves a silk implant melted directly onto a patient’s brain to assist with the recovery of a spinal cord injury.

Can a silk brain implant really help spinal cord injuries?

A new silk brain implant might help treat spinal cord injuries (Source: Reuters)

An “intimate” connection is provided by the silk implant and can record brain signals more accurately than other larger devices made of stiffer materials.  Spinal cord injuries are just one of the many personal injuries this implant can treat.

The way this implant works is by dissolving into the brain, leaving contours that electrodes are draped over.  Then, using these thin metal electrodes and protein from the silk, electrode arrays occur and these arrays can track signals from the brain to the rest of the body.

Researchers believe that those living with paralysis can  have the implant put in their brain and use it to control prosthetic limbs if someone, for instance, was paralyzed in an auto accident and lost an arm or leg.

“These implants have the potential to maximize the contact between electrodes and brain tissue, while minimizing damage to the brain,” said a doctor from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health.  “They could provide a platform for a range of devices with applications in epilepsy, spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders.”

Our paralysis attorneys are aware of the many available options for treating spinal cord injuries and paralysis.  While this silk brain implant is still experimental, it might be worth it for you to investigate the benefits and downsides before letting a doctor put it in your body.

Anything that can help someone with a spinal cord injury recover faster and more efficiently or simply make life with paralysis easier is a good thing to our San Diego firm.  That said, we still think you should do some research and find out if it is the best treatment for you.  That is always a good course of action before agreeing to undergo an unorthodox method of medical treatment.

If you or a loved one have suffered a spinal cord injury or paralysis, please contact our bilingual offices as soon as possible at 1-858-551-2090 for a FREE consultation with an experienced spinal cord injury attorney in San Diego or click here to submit your case for a FREE online review.  We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you owe nothing until we recover money on your behalf.