Paralyzed People Could Get Back on Their Feet After a Spinal Cord Implantation, Study Reveals

By Victor Omondi

A new study gives a glimmer of hope to paralyzed patients. They could walk again.

According to the study, three men who suffered complete paralysis were able to walk again after the intervention of new technology that involved epidural electrical stimulation. The three men quickly recovered from the paralysis and got back on their feet.

“Thanks to this technology, we have been able to target individuals with the most serious spinal cord injury, meaning those with clinically complete spinal cord injury, with no sensation and no movement in the legs,” said lead author Dr. Grégoire Courtine, professor of neuroscience and neurotechnology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

After a complete spinal cord injury, the brain loses connection with the extremities. However, research revealed that while some patients may lose all the connections, some may still have some functioning connections in the case of complete spinal cord injury, according to Medscape.

Stimulators can help relieve pain in spinal cord injury patients, according to a 2018 study. However, there are still many questions about the technology’s ability to reach all regions of the spinal cord, hence its effectiveness in controlling movement is still a questionable subject.

A BBC report shed some light on how the brain coordinates with the legs to facilitate movement in a normal person. The brain communicates with the spinal cord nerves, which enhances the movement of the legs. A spinal cord injury weakens the spinal cord nerves so much that they cannot create movement.

During the recent study, a paddle-shaped device used electrodes to stimulate nerve signals. The electrode wires were connected to a neurostimulator that was implanted in the patient’s abdomen, underneath the skin. The participants of the study used tablets to instruct the implanted device according to their activity of preference, be it standing or walking.

Dr. Peter J. Grahn, assistant professor of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Department of Neurologic Surgery, says that while the technology “is a huge step forward,” some matters are still questionable.

“They say independent stepping or walking is restored on day one, but the graphs show day one function is having over 60% of their body weight supported when they’re taking these steps,” Grahn said