Two people with upper body paralysis due to stroke have seen a partial recovery of arm movements after electrical stimulation of neurons in the spinal cord. This is the first time spinal cord stimulation has been used to treat upper body paralysis in humans.
The two participants received eight electrical nodes surgically placed on each side of their spinal cords, which were connected together through a catheter. When active, the nodes electrically stimulated receptors in the spine that control arm movement, increasing their sensitivity to brain signals.
The first participant saw a 40 per cent increase in hand grip strength while the second participant saw a 108 per cent increase. Both could reach objects in virtual reality that they couldn’t when the stimulation was off. The first participant was even able to open a lock and use utensils to eat independently for the first time in nine years when stimulation was on.
When the stimulation was removed, the participants completed an assessment that measured motor recovery on a 66-point scale. The first participant’s score increased by 11 points and the second by 2 points, suggesting that some of the recovery persisted even when the stimulation was turned off.
The researchers behind the study are hopeful that this breakthrough could lead to a therapy for stroke, as the technology is already approved for other diseases. Further research is needed to refine the technology and to understand the long-term effects of spinal cord stimulation on stroke recovery.