Paralyzed patients can regain some degree of movement — perhaps even walking again, new research suggests.
In a study led by EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne) and Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland, two people with spinal cord injuries received Deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy.
The therapy was applied to an “unexpected” part of the brain called the lateral hypothalamus, which has previously been linked to functions such as eating and waking from sleep.
After stimulation, patients were able to walk unaided and even climb stairs, according to a press release from Lausanne University Hospital.
The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine.
One of the study participants was Wolfgang Jaeger, 54, from Kappel, Austria, who suffered a spinal cord injury in 2006 that left him in a wheelchair.
A clinical trial participant, Wolfgang Jaeger, gets out of his wheelchair and climbs stairs using deep brain stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus. (. NeuroRestore / EPFL)
After the electrodes are implanted and received in the target area of his brain Deep brain stimulationhe regained some lower body mobility.
“Last year on vacation, using the stimulator to take a few steps down and back into the ocean was no problem,” Jaeger said in the release.
“I can even reach the things in my cupboards in the kitchen.”
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Study author Jocelyn Bloch, neurosurgeon and professor at Lausanne University Hospital, UNIL and EPFL, shared the immediate effects of the therapy.
“Once the electrode was in place and we did the stimulation, the first patient immediately said, ‘I can feel my legs,'” she said in the release.
The therapy was applied to an “unexpected” part of the brain called the lateral hypothalamus, which has previously been linked to functions such as eating and waking from sleep. (. NeuroRestore / EPFL)
“When we got up, she said, ‘I feel like walking!’ This real-time feedback confirmed that we had targeted the correct region, even though this region has never been associated with leg control in humans.”
“At that point, I knew we were giving a testimony. Important discovery of the physiological organization of brain functions,” Bloch added.
“When we increased the stimulation, she said, ‘I feel like walking!'”
Participants also reported “long-term improvements” in mobility even when stimulation was not being actively applied.
“This research highlights the unexpected role of the lateral hypothalamus, a brain region not previously associated with movement in humans,” said lead researcher Dr. Grégoire Courtin, professor of neuroscience at EPFL and Lausanne University Hospital and co-director of the NeuroResto Center, told Fox News Digital.
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“Our results show that this approach not only increases motor abilities during stimulation, but also induces reorganization of nerve fibers, leading to long-lasting improvements even in the absence of stimulation.”
DBS is traditionally used to control tremors in people with movement disorders. Parkinson’s diseasethe researchers noted.
A visual representation of deep brain stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus is shown. (. NeuroRestore / EPFL)
The concept of applying this to the lateral hypothalamus is uncharted territory.
Looking ahead, researchers hope to combine DBS with spinal implants to enable further stroke recovery.
“Combining our two methods – brain and spinal cord stimulation – will offer a more comprehensive rehabilitation strategy for patients with spinal cord injuries,” Courtine added.
‘Advancing Science’
Dr. Ann Murray, director of the Comprehensive Movement Disorder Clinic at the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. West Virginiasaid the results of the study were “surprising and interesting”.
“The targeted area of the brain that they were stimulating, the hypothalamus, historically has not been involved in gait mechanisms,” Murray, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
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“As we continue to better understand brain networks, it will enable us to modulate areas that are not functioning properly,” he continued.
“The brain communicates through electrical signaling, and technologies like deep brain stimulation therapy help us improve brain circuitry and/or restore more normal connectivity.”
“The brain communicates through electrical signaling, and technologies like deep brain stimulation therapy help us improve the interface with brain circuitry and/or restore more normal connectivity,” said one neurologist. (. NeuroRestore / EPFL)
The potential for growth in these types of technologies is “really endless,” Murray said.
“I sincerely hope that technologies like deep brain stimulation and other neuromodulation treatments will continue to evolve. Advance the science In Mental Health Rehabilitation of Patients with Neurological Injury.”
Possible limitations
The researchers acknowledge that the study has some limitations.
“It’s medicine at its best.”
“This therapy is only beneficial for patients with incomplete injuries, where functional neural circuits remain but are not fully used,” Courtaine told Fox News Digital.
“For complete spinal cord injuries, only local epidural electrical stimulation or a brain-spinal interface bridge may help restore functional movement.”
After having electrodes implanted in the target area of his brain and receiving deep brain stimulation, the clinical trial participant was able to climb stairs. (. NeuroRestore / EPFL)
They also pointed out that the study is an “early-stage safety and feasibility trial,” conducted without a control group.
“For this therapy to become widely accessible, big Important study A thorough and thorough review will be required [before approval]Cortine said.
“This process can take years before the therapy is available to patients.”
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Murray also stressed that caution should be exercised with this type of stimulus.
“Whenever we’re investigating brain treatments, a tremendous degree of safety and precision has to be applied,” he cautioned.
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“The brain is the most precise, complex organ in the body, requiring a treatment or innovation to appreciate not only the intended effects but also the possible unintended effects of interfering with certain networks.”
Each step of the process must be carefully executed by an integrated team, Murray said.
“Anytime we’re investigating brain treatments, a tremendous degree of safety and precision has to be applied,” warns one neurologist. (iStock)
“It is. Health Medicine At its best—a mistake in any one of these steps can result in suboptimal results.”
The goal, he said, is to standardize the process so that more patients have access to this “life-changing therapy.”
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Murray added, “This should bring hope to millions of patients around the world who suffer from neurologic conditions, because it’s advancing the technology, advancing the science, to extend treatment to such people. Who never had any other option.”