Spinal cord injury refers to spinal cord damage caused by trauma (such as car accidents), disease or degeneration (such as cancer), depending on the location and severity of the injury, the patient will experience a partial or complete loss of motor and sensory functions of the body below the level of injury, as well as loss of urinary and stool, which imposes a heavy financial and psychological burden on the patient and his family.
After living this life lying down or sitting, the meaning of life and the passion of life sleep with the immovable body, and the soul is imprisoned in the cage of the body.
Movie "Before I Met You"
Wanting to experience the feeling of being down-to-earth again, a dream that was once out of reach for paralyzed patients is now being realized by scientists.
The spinal cord electrical stimulation electrode developed by Dr Grégoire Courtine of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne and Jocelyne Bloch, a neurosurgeon at the University Hospital of Lausanne, was implanted in the body and enabled three completely paralyzed patients to stand, walk, ride a bicycle, swim and control trunk activity within hours of treatment by activating areas of the spinal cord that control the trunk and leg muscles. The study was published in Nature Medicine on February 8, 2022.
People are paralyzed because spinal cord injuries cut off electrical signaling between the brain and the low spinal cord, and although the spinal cord below the site of injury is fully functional, it can no longer receive motor commands from the cerebral cortex.
The spinal cord electrical stimulation electrode developed by the research team, after implanting in a specific area of the spinal cord, at the exact time and location, releases electrical stimulation, simulates the motor instructions generated by the brain through electrical stimulation, activates the motor neurons that control the leg muscles, and then innervates the corresponding muscles through these motor neurons, so that the original paralyzed muscles are mobilized.
Note: Electrical stimulation electrodes are implanted in specific spinal cord areas below the spinal cord injury level
As the researchers put it, "The exact timing and location of electrical stimulation is critical to a patient's ability to produce expected movements, and this study has reached an unprecedented level of precision in electrical stimulation of the spinal cord, and based on years of animal model research, we have a deep understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which lower limb movements arise (e.g., in chronological order or co-activation of motor neurons in which parts are required to complete 'walking'), So we were able to use this device to mimic in real time how the brain naturally activates spinal cord neurons. ”
Back in 2018, the team achieved for the first time the miracle of a paralyzed patient going from wheelchair to upright walking — a week after running into an electrical stimulation electrode device, three patients with long-term paraplegia were able to walk with the help of a walker (weight support), and during the rehabilitation period, participants were able to walk more than 1 kilometer with the help of targeted electrical stimulation and weight support systems, and did not show leg muscle fatigue.
Not only that, paraplegic patients' ability to control muscles on their own has been greatly improved, even without the assistance of electrical stimulation, their performance in 10 meters and 6 minutes of clinical walking tests has also improved significantly, indicating that electrode electrical stimulation can not only enable patients to move to the ground, long-term exercise (walking under electrical stimulation), but also help the damaged nerves to repair themselves.
Of course, scientists don't stop there, and in 2022, they came with the latest results, which brought us a huge surprise.
By implanting longer, wider wires and improving the arrangement of electrodes on the spinal cord, it is possible to control not only the leg muscles, but also the trunk muscles, in addition to which the team also introduced artificial intelligence to decode the "electrical stimulation program" corresponding to various types of movements.
Through the remote control on the walker, the motor stimulation program set in the tablet is selected remotely, the pacemaker worn by the patient's abdomen is activated, the electrodes at the specific spinal cord site release the corresponding electrical stimulation of the movement, neuronal activation, regulation of muscles, completion of activities.
Compared to 4 years ago, when walking was achieved after 1 week of running into an electrical stimulation device, three patients who were completely paralyzed were now able to stand, walk, ride, swim and control their trunk movements independently within hours of implantation of electrodes.
At present, the research team is working with ONWARD Medical to promote the research results into clinical treatment, truly improve the lives of thousands of paralyzed patients, and let them regain their beauty and enjoy life.
Accidents unexpectedly destroy their lives, thanks to technology to give life unlimited expectations and possibilities.
bibliography:
Written by | Four five seven
Edit | Swagpp