Implant restores some movement in three people with spinal-cord injuries — but the treatment is in its early stages.
Study participants were able to walk using a device that mimics the signals the lower body usually receives from the brain.Three people once paralysed by complete spinal-cord injuries can walk, swim, work the pedals of a bicycle and even paddle canoes, thanks to an implant that stimulates neurons in their spinal cords.
Once the implant was in place, each person could control the pattern of electrical stimulation, using buttons and a tablet to raise or lower each leg, for example. All three participants recovered some level of movement within one day of activating the implant, including being able to walk on a treadmill while their weight was supported. “The first few steps were incredible — a dream come true!” said one of the people to receive the treatment, Michel Roccati, in a press release.
Neurosurgeon Peter Grahn, also at Mayo Clinic, adds that the device’s ability to stimulate various neurons strategically, rather than continuously as previous devices have done, will help researchers to understand the dynamics of spinal-cord signalling. This could aid future efforts to restore movement to people who have also lost upper-body movement — a much more complex process.