Extremely promising spinal-injury treatment

 Every year in the US nearly 18,000 people suffer spinal cord injuries (SCIs) serious enough to cause partial or total paralysis, and approximately 300,000 Americans live with permanent disabilities because of SCIs. Now, new research appearing in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine offers the promise that some of those paralyzed men and women may be able to walk again.

Two previously paralyzed patients walk again

Credit: NeuroRestore/Jimmy Ravier/Nature Medicine

Building on decades of previous research, an international team with a panoply of specialized skills designed and fabricated a new, patient-specific electrical stimulator that they implant along the lower part of the spinal cord of paralyzed patients. After optimizing the implant's connectivity to the unique neuro-anatomy of each patient, computer-generated patterns of stimulation allow individuals to stand, walk, cycle or swim. Fine-tuning the system to the point that patients can take their first steps take less than a day.

So far the researchers have demonstrated this methodology with three previously paralyzed patients. All three have been able to stand, walk and perform other activities almost immediately, with support in the clinical setting. Further months of physical therapy, exercise and practice with the system allowed them to extend these newly regained skills into the community, independently.

Here's one of the patient's first-hand report:

"I had an accident in 2017 on a motobike. I saw a presentation on this project and I contacted them. After two years I enrolled. The surgery was in August of 2020. After 10 days of recovery, I started the rehabilitation. After one day I saw my legs moving--it was very emotional. That same day, I could walk without support. After 9 months of daily training, which I continue at home with the devices, I see improvement every day. I use it for walking or standing. Now I can do everything alone, with no problem. It's very good."

The researchers are actively continuing this project, aiming to further individualize the spinal-cord stimulator and refine and miniaturize the computer interface. Their goal is to allow patients to control the various programs for standing, walking, swimming, cycling, exercising, etc.--from a smartphone or tablet.

They hope to be able to make this currently experimental treatment more widely available within the next several years.

You can read a brief summary of the research here. (The full article is behind the Nature Medicine paywall.)