Taking New Steps

Most of us think that spinal cord injuries are irreversible. They’re the ultimate injury, the worst possible thing that could happen to a person. Researchers in Europe, spearheaded by Dr. Gregoire Courtine, think otherwise. They think there is a way to teach the body to recover from these injuries by prompting nerve regrowth. Their study, “Targeted Neurotechnology Restores Walking in Humans with Spinal Cord Injury”, makes just that claim. Dr. Courtine and his team have been inserting implants on the spinal cord of their patients who have partial or complete paralysis.

This implant, called a pulse generator, is a small panel of electrodes, and is designed to mimic the nerve signaling pathways from the spinal cord to the body’s muscles. In order to do this, it electrically stimulates the lumbosacral section of the spinal cord. When someone is moving, their body’s nerve signaling mechanisms flows from the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to the peripheral nervous system (limbs). When someone’s spinal cord is injured, it is unable to send signals to the limbs to move, even though the muscles aren’t damaged. When the implant is inserted, it almost wakes up the spinal cord, attempting to recreate its original nerve connections. The stimulation doesn’t always occur, but rather is prompted when the patient consciously tries to move a muscle, thus sending a chemical signal from their brain towards the spinal cord. This way, it mimics the original spinal cord function. So far, they have had three success stories. Each person was partially paralyzed, and after a few months of rehabilitation with the implant, they were able to regain voluntary movements.

One patient specifically, David Mzee, is now able to walk without supports due to the study. Mr. Mzee injured his spinal cord when he did a stunt jumping off of a trampoline in 2010, breaking his neck. He lost most of the movement of his legs. Mr. Mzee’s progress shows that the electrical stimulation provided was able to prompt the previously dormant nerves to grow and make new connections.

Although seemingly small, this study could have a significant impact on the scientific community. The study’s abstract commented on this significance, saying “These results establish a technological framework for improving neurological recovery and supporting the activities of daily living after spinal cord injury”. 12,000 people in the US are afflicted with a spinal cord injury each year (brainandspinalcord.org). That is 12,000 people who are given rehabilitation as the only effective treatment option in gaining back some if any locomotion. They have to go through life using various aids whether they are wheelchairs or nurses. This study’s findings open a whole new door into treatment options for those paralyzed. The device implanted has functional similarities to a pacemaker device used on the heart, using electrical pulse to regulate or stimulate organ functions. With time, this spinal implant could become as regular as a pacemaker and make paralysis a thing of the past.

By the Numbers

About 285,000 people in the United State are living with spinal cord injuries. There are about 17,500 new SCIs every year, and 81% involve males. These injuries result from motor vehicle accidents (38.4%), falls (30.5%), violence (13.5%) and sports-related accidents (8.9%). (Citation)