NEW RESEARCH DISCOVERS INDEPENDENT BRAIN NETWORKS CONTROL HUMAN WALKING

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Kennedy Krieger Institute Study Enhances Understanding of Brain Plasticity and Motor Skills, Signaling Advancements for Future Rehab Practices In a study published in the August issue of Nature Neuroscience, researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland found that there are separate adaptable networks controlling each leg and there are also separate networks controlling leg movements, e.g., forward or backward walking. These findings are contrary to the currently accepted theory that leg movements and adaptations are directed by a single control circuit in the brain. The ability to train the right and left legs independently opens the door to new therapeutic approaches for correcting walking abilities in patients with brain injury (e.g., stroke) and neurological disorders (e.g., cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis).

Credits: MultiVu
URL: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/bastian/29010/
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