A man who was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in 2017 has regained the ability to walk after doctors implanted electrodes (conductors through which electricity enters or leaves an object, substance or region) in the spine to reactivate muscles.
Michel Roçati lost all sensation and movement in his legs after the collision that affected his spinal cord, but he can stand and walk with electrical stimulation that is controlled wirelessly by a tablet.
The research team said the electrical implant had helped Rochati and two other patients - aged 29 to 41 - stand, walk, ride a bicycle, raising hopes that small devices, implants, could help the paralyzed to have more independence.
Rocatti uses the device as part of routine training and rehabilitation to help strengthen muscles and stay in shape. "It is now part of my daily life," he said.
Developed by Prof. Grégoire Courtine, a neuroscientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, and Prof. Jocelyne Bloch, a neurosurgeon at the University Hospital of Lausanne, the system uses a soft, flexible electrode that is placed on top of spinal nerves.
The device helped all three patients stay on their feet within hours after surgery, but performance improved with three to four months of practice and training.
"Thanks to this technology, we have been able to treat individuals with more severe spinal cord injuries," Courtine said. "By checking these implants, we can activate the spinal cord as the brain would naturally do for the patient to stand, walk, swim or ride a bicycle."
Sources: Nature Medicine, Guardian
