Contrary to popular belief, spinal cord injuries are rarely complete. The brain retains access to the spinal cord circuitry below the lesion, but this connection is often dormant. Recently, stimulation of brain circuits above the lesion has been shown to activate this dormant circuit and promote motor recovery after spinal cord injury. Nevertheless, given their deep location, brain subpopulations are still difficult to access with standard electrical neurostimulation approaches, such as Deep Brain Stimulation. Optogenetic tools have therefore emerged as a promising alternative to electrical neurostimulation for promoting motor recovery after spinal cord injury.
