For the first time, surgeons have stimulated brain tissue in paralyzed patients, helping them reestablish control of their leg muscles.
The successful trial resulted in two individuals with catastrophic spinal injuries being able to walk short distances and climb stairs despite previously relying on wheelchairs.
The procedure utilized a technique called deep brain stimulation. Using it, surgeons were able to “reawaken” previously dormant nerve fibers in the spinal cord. This re-established the patient’s control of their legs, allowing them to walk.
Wolfgang Jaeger, age 54, was in a skiing accident in 2006 that left him unable to use his legs. Since having the electrodes implanted two years ago, Jaeger has been working to restore movement.
“If I want, I can walk a little bit, or go up and down the stairs, or if I need something in the kitchen where I have to stand up I can do it,” he told Sky News.
“[Technology] is getting better and better. In future I think we won’t need a wheelchair again.”
Although this particular feat is the world’s first, brain implants are not new. Late last year, The Dallas Express reported on a study published in Nature Medicine that described how five individuals who had suffered brain injuries were able to improve cognitive function after electrons were surgically implanted in their brains.
The latest breakthrough was aided by the use of artificial intelligence. Neuroscientists at the Swiss Federal Technology Institute in Lausanne (EPFL) leveraged AI to map the entirety of neurons responsible for helping rats and mice walk. They were surprised to find that the lateral hypothalamus was linked to walking, a region previously known to have a connection to arousal and motivation.
This prompted the researchers to test the electrode implants in rodents. After successful trials, they moved on to human participants.
The technique to implant the electrodes requires the patient to remain conscious during surgery. This is the only way surgeons can verify they have reached the correct location in the brain and applied the appropriate amount of stimulation.
“Once the electrode was in place and we performed the stimulation the first patient immediately said, ‘I feel my legs.’ When we increased the stimulation she said, ‘I feel the urge to walk!,'” said Professor Jocelyne Bloch, the surgeon who carried out the operations at Lausanne University Hospital.