Two patients with spinal cord injuries have improved their ability to walk again thanks to deep brain stimulation (DBS). Interestingly, this therapy targets areas of the brain not normally associated with motor skills.
DBS involves surgically implanting electrodes in specific areas of the brain and activating the electrodes to stimulate specific neurons. This technology has proven useful in treating neurological diseases such as depression, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and anorexia.
DBS is currently being used to restore mobility to the legs of two people with partial paralysis. Researchers from EPFL and Lausanne University Hospital surgically implanted electrodes in the lateral hypothalamic (LH) region of the brain while patients were fully awake.
“We put the electrodes in, we did the stimulation, and right away the first patient said, ‘I can feel my legs,'” said Jocelyn Block, the neurosurgeon who performed the surgery. “When I increased the stimulation, he said, “I want to walk!”” This real-time feedback confirmed that we were targeting the correct region, even though this region was not related to human leg control. At this moment, we knew we were witnessing an important discovery for the anatomical organization of brain function. ”
The second patient, Wolfgang Jaeger, 54, from Austria, has been using a wheelchair since sustaining a spinal cord injury in 2006. Since the surgery, I have become less dependent on a wheelchair.
“During the holidays last year, I had no problem using the stimulation to take a few steps and get back to the water,” Yeager said. “I can also reach things in the kitchen cupboards.”
When deep brain stimulation was turned on during rehabilitation, patients saw an immediate improvement in their mobility. The patient was able to walk and climb stairs with less assistance than usual. Importantly, these improvements persisted even after stimulation was turned off.
EPFL
What’s interesting about this study is that the brain regions studied were previously not known to be associated with motor skills. The lateral hypothalamus is more closely associated with feeding, energy intake, and reward behaviors.
However, researchers believe it may be of interest as they create a functional map of the whole brain to see which neurons show transcriptional activity during relearning to walk after spinal cord injury. was identified. Glutamatergic neurons buried deep in the LH emerged as a strong and unexpected candidate.
Studies in mice and rats with partial spinal cord injuries show that stimulating these neurons improves the animals’ ability to walk, paving the way for current human trials. I did.
Although no negative side effects have been reported, the research team says further trials need to be conducted to confirm the safety and effectiveness of the technology. But if these promising signs come true, we may have a new tool to increase mobility during rehabilitation.
The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine. The team explains their work in the video below.
Stimulating the hypothalamus restores walking in paralyzed patients
Source: EPFL
