Brain stimulation has allowed disabled patients to walk again on the ‘critical path’ for wheelchair users.
Deep brain stimulation has been found to improve movement and promote recovery in two people with spinal cord injury.
This surgery involves placing electrodes in the brain to generate electrical impulses. This can be easily switched ‘on’ and ‘off’.
Traditionally, it is used to treat movement disorders such as Parkinson’s by targeting the parts of the brain that control movement.
Currently, this method has helped people who have become paralyzed to walk without assistance and even climb stairs.
When used in conjunction with rehabilitation, they continued to improve even when the deep brain stimulation was turned off.
This new discovery is unexpected, the scientists say, as they point to another part of the brain – the hypothalamus – which is not usually associated with paralysis and is instead associated with arousal, feeding and stimulation.
They found that it may play a role in learning to walk in mice with spinal cord injuries, using 3D imaging techniques to map which regions of the brain are involved in walking during recovery.
Brain stimulation has allowed disabled patients to walk again on the ‘critical path’ for wheelchair users. Deep brain stimulation has been found to improve mobility and promote recovery in two people with spinal cord injury (file).
Wolfgang Jäger, 54, from Kappel, Austria, has been cycling since 2006 after a car accident left him with a back injury.
After taking part in a clinical trial she is now able to walk up and down stairs and stand up to reach things in her kitchen cupboards.
Although the procedure did not completely cure him – he still uses a wheelchair – he said the procedure has given him new opportunities.
Where previously she had to walk down the stairs while sitting and lift each leg down each step, now – with the help of crutches and crutches – she can go up and down the stairs while standing.
He has also been on holiday and was able to walk up and down the stairs to the beach – something he would not have been able to do before.
‘At first, there was a big difference,’ he said. ‘And over time, with more training and strengthening, muscle strength began to develop.
‘It was clear that even without stimulation, progress was being made. I became a runner, I could walk longer.
‘The idea was to use motivation during training but eventually it wouldn’t be needed anymore.
‘And that’s where I am now. I don’t need to turn it on anymore.
‘Now, when I see stairs with only a few steps, I know I can handle them myself. It feels good when you don’t have to rely on others all the time.
‘After an accident or illness, many people often fall into a hole and feel like everything is over. But knowing that there is something that helps you to keep learning.’
The discovery was made during a study of mice with spinal cord injuries, using 3D simulation techniques to map which parts of the brain are affected during recovery (file).
The team behind the treatment said that their findings suggest that it promotes nerve regeneration in the brain.
The study was led by professors Jocelyne Bloch, from Lausanne University Hospital, and Grégoire Courtine at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
“The patients received two electrodes placed in the lateral hypothalamus and when we changed the stimulation, they immediately felt the urge to walk,” said Professor Bloch.
‘So they set about renovating with encouragement and after six months we saw a change in their cars which was quite impressive.’
The same team previously developed a spinal prosthesis that allows people with disabilities below the waist to walk, spin and swim by training other muscles to contract and relax using a device similar to an iPad.
The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine.
