motor function

Scientists in Spain have developed an upper limb exoskeleton device and accompanying video game-based program to boost the effects of physical therapy in children with motor disabilities such as those seen in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The  device, created with a 3D printer, was designed to be more affordable…

A two-week course of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS), a noninvasive method of stimulating the spinal cord using electrical impulses, can improve motor function, breathing, and knee motion in people with spinal muscular atrophy types 2 and 3, a study suggests. “Further studies are needed to elucidate the…

A harness system designed for children with movement difficulties, the Portable Mobility Aid for Children (PUMA) improved or stabilized motor function among young patients treated for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in a small study. More frequent at-home use of the system, whose harness supports a child’s…

Despite treatment with leuprorelin over three years, all spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) patients in a study in Korea continued to experience declines in motor function, a new study found. However, those individuals with less disability at the start of treatment experienced slower disease progression, “indicating a…

Being on Spinraza (nusinersen) for up to three years results in a gain in motor function for children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2, with the youngest children benefiting the most from treatment, a small study has found. “It is therefore important to start the treatment as…