Paraplegic movement after a spinal cord injury possible

Charité: Electrical stimulation helps to regenerate movements
Spinal cord injuries are often associated with lifelong paralysis, as the electrical impulses from the brain no longer reach their target. However, according to a recent study by scientists at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, the motion sequences can be restored by passing an implant to the spinal cord below the injury.

The researchers from the Berlin Chariteé and the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne have "restored movements after damage to the spinal cord," according to the Charité. The scientists had succeeded in demonstrating "that for a coordinated interaction of the muscles, for example when walking, alternating impulses of the spinal cord are responsible" and that the newly developed implants, the necessary signals can be modeled. In this way sections of the spinal cord could be specifically reactivated. The researchers published their study results in the current issue of the journal Nature Medicine.

A new implant helps to restore the movement after a spinal cord injury. (Image: VRD / fotolia.com)

Spinal cord can initiate movements independently of the brain
Paraplegia, according to scientists, is caused by traumatic spinal cord injury, which causes an interruption in communication between the brain and spinal cord. Heavy dysfunctions and lifelong paralysis are often the result. However, it was known from previous studies that the spinal cord has the property, independent of signals from the brain, to produce coordinated movements during an electrical or chemical stimulation. "Our goal is to reactivate the spinal cord area under injury by electrical impulses. Nikolaus Wenger, researcher at the Department of Neurology of the Charité and the Berlin Institute of Health. The researchers are relying on an increase in the potential to independently generate movements by natural processes are imitated as closely as possible.

Implants for spinal cord stimulation
In the animal model, the European research team was able to show that during the movement of the legs to a wave-like activity of spinal cord areas, so the message from the Charité. To restore spinal cord activity after paraplegia, researchers developed durable implants "that enable selective spinal cord stimulation," Dr. Wenger. Get the right spinal cord stimulated at the right time, improve strength and balance while walking. The novel implants and stimulation technologies are adapted to the activation of the spinal cord to the temporal sequence of the movement process.

Improvement of therapy in sight
According to the scientists, the current findings are already on the way to clinical application, since the human spinal cord can also be stimulated to move by electrical stimulation. The new type of spinal cord stimulation could in the future contribute to a better therapy of paraplegic patients. Another goal is "to further develop therapeutic approaches and to transfer them to the field of stroke research" according to the Charité. (Fp)