For years my mother worked in a trauma ICU. Critical care is tough, it always is; but she used to say that those were worse because there were so many young people. Many kids (“with their whole lives ahead of them”) for whom the future was going to change radically. It had changed them. And in a breath.
I also remember that, for years, whenever news of neurological recovery advances came in, it was a little party. One more reason to go to work with a little more hope. That’s why, precisely why… today is a great day.
A digital bridge. Today Nature brings us the data of an implant capable of restoring communication between the brain and the spinal cord in people with paralysis of the arms and legs. Thanks to him, they can stand up and walk, yes; but not only that. The device significantly improves neurological recovery to the point that the patient in question can walk on crutches even when the implant is not on.
In other words, we are not talking about just another device: we are talking about a “new framework” for the therapeutic approach to restore natural control of movement after paralysis.
What’s new? Well, until now, approaches that sought to restore movement directly stimulated regions of the spinal cord to do so. The problem is that the information return was complex (motion sensors were required) and, even in the best cases, learning to move in this way was very difficult. Patients could learn to walk in controlled rooms, but as the ground conditions changed, everything became very difficult to implement.
Now Grégoire Courtine’s team at Lausanne University Hospital is testing a brain-spine interface (BSI), which has an integrated pacing and recording system. That is to say, it is not something that only stimulates, it is a two-way pathway: a system that establishes a direct link between the brain and the regions of the spinal cord involved in walking.
This changes the matter. And it changes a lot. The BSI was able to calibrate in just a few minutes and has remained reliable and stable for over a year, even when the patient went home without equipment supervision.
Also, as the interface allows for “natural control” Based on the movements of the patient’s legs, standing up, walking, climbing stairs and even traversing complex terrain becomes much easier. The key is precisely in “natural control”. No device is needed, but is integrated into the “natural” operation of the system.
Is it something really disruptive? We hope so. The data published by Nature they are really impressive and, without a doubt, it is good news for all those problems related to the brain-body relationship. However, the trial is limited by the small number of participants. There is still a long way to go to make it a standard, but (and never better said) it is a step in the right direction.
In Xataka | We have just identified the neurons that restore the ability to walk in patients with paralysis. It’s excellent news
Image | Lausanne University Hospital
