Paraplegic Patient Stood Up and Walked in One Day [Reading Science]

Swiss Research Team Develops Neural Stimulation Implant, Achieves Successful Trial

A patient with lower body paralysis is walking with a neural stimulation implant. Photo by Nature.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A Swiss research team has given hope by successfully conducting an experiment that enables paraplegic patients to not only walk but also swim and ride bicycles by implanting a neural stimulation device.

The research team at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) published a paper detailing these results on the 7th in the international journal Nature Medicine. They created a device designed to mimic the signals the human lower body normally receives from the brain during movements such as walking, allowing patients with full-body paralysis to control the movements of their lower limbs.

The team used computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging devices to measure the size and arrangement of spinal nerves from 27 individuals, creating an average predictive model. Using this, they identified the optimal implant locations on the wearers' bodies. Subsequently, they implanted the device in three subjects whose spinal cords were completely severed, resulting in paraplegia.

Amazingly, the participants were able to control electrical stimulation patterns using a tablet and buttons, enabling them to perform movements such as lifting or lowering their legs. All three participants regained a certain level of movement within a day after implantation, including supporting their own weight and walking on a treadmill. One participant, Michael Locati, expressed excitement in a press release from the research team, saying, "When I took my first few steps, I really couldn't believe it?it was a dream come true."

The participants were able not only to walk but also to ride bicycles and perform squats. They could even maintain a stable posture while paddling a canoe through programmed movements.

The research team plans to develop this technology for implementation via smartphones in the future. They have also obtained approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to test this technology on more patients in the United States. Additionally, they are researching devices that can send signals directly from the brain to the spinal cord to help people suffering from bladder and sexual dysfunction.

Neurosurgeon Peter Gran commented on the research results, stating, "The device developed by the research team strategically stimulates various neural tissues, representing progress beyond previous studies and helping to understand the principles of spinal cord signaling." He added, "It is expected to be utilized in the future for neural recovery in patients with more complex upper-body paralysis."