For the first time in the world, surgeons have used a technique called deep brain stimulation to revive dormant nerve fibers in the spinal cord and restore control of the leg muscles. According to Sky News.
Sky News reported that two paralyzed patients were able to walk short distances and even climb stairs again after electrodes were implanted in their brains.
She stated that both patients had severe spinal damage, which meant that they were dependent on a wheelchair before the operation.
One of the patients, Wolfgang Geiger (54 years old), broke his back in a skiing accident in 2006, causing paralysis in his lower limbs, but since he had the electrodes implanted two years ago, he has worked intensively with physical therapists to regain movement in his limbs.
“If I want, I can walk a little and I can go up and down the stairs, and if I need something in the kitchen where I can stand, I can support myself,” Geiger said.
He added, “Technology is developing little by little, so I do not think that we will need a wheelchair in the future. It is true that it is a long way, but I believe that the dream has become a reality.”
This achievement was made by neuroscientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), where the scientists conducted their experiments on mice and used artificial intelligence to draw a neural map of the brain, which includes neurons and their pathways to identify the neurons responsible for walking.
They focused their research on the hypothalamus, which is a small area located in the middle of the brain responsible for stimulating the body for many vital processes. They were surprised when they found an area adjacent to the hypothalamus and discovered that it has a vital role in walking.
It was so unexpected that other scientists initially began to doubt this discovery but agreed to publish the research in the journal Nature Medicine.
After the tests were successful on rodents, the Swiss team began applying it to humans, as this technology is widely used to control tremor in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
The neuroscientists noted that their technique can be performed on a patient in a fully conscious state, where surgeons can confirm that they have reached the right place in the brain based on the appropriate stimulus response.
Professor Jocelyn Bloch, who performed the operations at Lausanne University Hospital, said: “Once the electrode was placed and the stimulation was performed, the first patient immediately said, ‘I feel my legs,’ and when we increased the stimulation, she said, ‘I feel like walking.’” According to Sky News.
Scientists believe that this lateral hypothalamus directs other parts of the brain to send nerve signals through special nerve fibers that remain intact even after spinal cord injury.
Professor Gregory Curtin, lead neuroscientist on the research team and co-director of the NeuroRestore Centre, said: “The research shows that the brain is essential for recovery from paralysis, and it turns out that a small area of the brain that was previously unknown was responsible for walking by activating neural connections.” remaining and promoting neurological recovery.
In reality, the two patients did not fully recover, and were only able to walk slowly for short distances using a cane or an assistive object, but the EPFL team has already shown that movement can be restored using special implants in the spinal cord, and they hope that stimulating both the spine And the brain in the future will enhance recovery and help patients walk longer and faster distances.