New research suggests paralyzed patients can regain some movement and possibly walk again.
In a study led by EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne) and Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland, two people with spinal cord injuries underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy.
The treatment applied to an “unexpected” part of the brain called the lateral hypothalamus, which has previously been associated with functions such as eating and waking from sleep.
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After the stimulation, the patient was able to walk without assistance and was able to climb stairs, according to a press release from Lausanne University Hospital.
The results of this study were published in the journal Nature Medicine.
One of the participants in the study was Wolfgang Jaeger, a 54-year-old resident of Kappel, Austria, who suffered a spinal cord injury in 2006 that left him in a wheelchair.
Clinical trial participant Wolfgang Jaeger gets out of his wheelchair and uses deep brain stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus to climb up and down stairs. (.NeuroRestore / EPFL)
After implanting electrodes in targeted areas of his brain and receiving deep brain stimulation, he regained some mobility in his lower body.
“During my vacation last year, I had no problem using the stimulation to take a few steps back to the water,” Yeager said in the release.
“I can also reach things in the kitchen cupboards.”
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Study author Jocelyn Block, a neurosurgeon and professor at Lausanne University Hospital, UNIL and EPFL, spoke about the immediate effects of the treatment.
“Once we placed the electrodes and applied the stimulation, the first patient immediately said, ‘I can feel my legs,'” she said in a release.
The treatment applied to an “unexpected” part of the brain called the lateral hypothalamus, which has previously been associated with functions such as eating and waking from sleep. (.NeuroRestore / EPFL)
When the stimulation was increased, he said, “I want to walk!” This real-time feedback confirmed that we were targeting the correct region, even though this region is not related to human leg control. ”
“At this moment, we were convinced that we were witnessing an important discovery in the anatomical organization of brain function,” Block added.
“When I increased the stimulation, he said, “I want to walk!””
Participants also reported “long-term improvements” in their mobility, even when stimulation was not actively applied.
Principal investigator Dr. Grégoire Courtine, professor of neuroscience at EPFL and Lausanne University Hospital and co-director of the .NeuroRestore centre, said: “This study demonstrates the importance of the lateral hypothalamus, a region that has not previously been implicated in human movement. “This study highlights an unexpected role for a brain region in the brain.” he told FOX News Digital.
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“Our findings show that this approach not only increases motor performance during stimulation, but also induces reorganization of nerve fibers, leading to sustained improvement even in the absence of stimulation.”
DBS has traditionally been used to control tremors in people with movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, the researchers noted.
A visual representation of deep brain stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus is shown. (.NeuroRestore / EPFL)
The concept of applying it to the lateral hypothalamus is uncharted territory.
Looking to the future, researchers hope to combine DBS with spinal implants to enable further recovery from paralysis.
“Integrating our two approaches, brain and spinal cord stimulation, will provide a more comprehensive recovery strategy for spinal cord injury patients,” Corteen added.
“Advancing science”
Dr. Ann Murray, director of the Comprehensive Movement Disorders Clinic at WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in West Virginia, said the study results are “surprising and exciting.”
“The target area of the brain that they stimulated, the hypothalamus, has historically not been known to be involved in the mechanics of locomotion,” Murray, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. Ta.
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“As we learn more about brain networks, we will be able to adjust areas that are not functioning properly,” she continued.
“The brain communicates through electrical signals, and techniques such as deep brain stimulation therapy can provide an interface with brain circuits to help improve and/or restore more normal connections.”
“The brain communicates through electrical signals, and techniques such as deep brain stimulation can provide an interface with brain circuits to help improve and/or restore more normal connections.” the internist said. (.NeuroRestore / EPFL)
The possibilities for this type of technology advancement are “really limitless,” Murray said.
“We have great hope that technologies like deep brain stimulation and other neuromodulatory therapies will continue to advance the science of restoring brain health in patients suffering from neurological injury.”
Potential limitations
The researchers acknowledged that the study had some limitations.
“This is precision medicine at its best.”
“This treatment is only beneficial for patients with incomplete damage, where functional neural circuits remain but are underutilized,” Corteen told FOX News Digital.
“In cases of complete spinal cord injury, only local epidural electrical stimulation or a brain-spinal interface bridge can help restore functional movement.”
Participants in a clinical trial were able to climb stairs after receiving deep brain stimulation with electrodes implanted in targeted areas of the brain. (.NeuroRestore / EPFL)
He also noted that the study was an “early stage safety and feasibility study” conducted without a control group.
“For this treatment to become widely available, larger, pivotal studies need to be completed and thoroughly evaluated (before approval),” Corteen said.
“This process could take several years before this treatment is available to patients.”
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Murray also stressed the need for caution with this type of stimulation.
“Whenever we study brain treatments, we need to apply very high standards of safety and precision,” she warned.
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“The brain is the most precise and complex organ in the body, and some treatments and innovations are needed to understand not only the intended effects, but also the potential unintended consequences of interfering with specific networks.”
Murray said each step of the process needs to be carefully executed by an inclusive team.
“Whenever researching brain treatments, very high safety and precision must be applied,” the neurologist warned. (St. Petersburg)
“This is precision medicine at its finest. A misstep at any of these steps can lead to suboptimal outcomes.”
The goal, she says, is to standardize the process and give more patients access to this “life-changing treatment.”
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Murray added: “This should give hope to the millions of patients around the world who suffer from neurological diseases, because it advances technology, advances science, and helps patients who until now had no other options. This is because treatment will be expanded to those who are suffering.
