Japanese Researchers Develop New Paralysis Treatment From: RehabManagement Magazine - January/February 2003 - page 10 Researchers at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan, have developed a technique that has allowed two men paralyzed on one side of their bodies to walk again. According to a recent article in the British journal New Scientist, both men, who had suffered debilitating strokes, were able to walk again after receiving an implant that sends signals from the healthy half of the body to the paralyzed side. The technique, invented by Wenwei Yu, MD, uses sensors placed over muscle groups in the healthy leg to transmit signals to electrodes implanted near the nerves on the paralyzed leg. This technique of using electrical impulses to stimulate movement, known as functional electrical stimulation (FES), has been used more often on patients with paraplegia, where both legs are paralyzed. However, according to New Scientist, hemiplegia, where only one leg is paralyzed, is a more common condition. Links: http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/scitech/SciTechRepublish_666015.htm http://www.advanceforpt.com/ntu/sept16_02ny2.html http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s665811.htm http://www.globaltechnoscan.com/5thSep-11thSep02/legs.htm http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992726 http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/sciences/story/0%2C12243%2C782319%2C00.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0%2C3604%2C782071%2C00.html