A promising trial of electrical spinal cord stimulation that instantly enhances arm and hand movement and dexterity in stroke survivors has the potential to significantly improve quality of life for people with chronic motor impairment.
Studies show that three-quarters of people who have a stroke continue to have motor impairments in their hands and arms, such as hemiplegia, which is a weakening or partial paralysis of the limbs, making everyday tasks difficult. .
Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon now say that when the spinal cord is stimulated with a pair of thin metal electrodes implanted in the neck, and electrical pulses are used along the arm to engage intact neural circuits, the found that exercise improved. Until this pilot study, there were few studies on epidural stimulation of the cervical spinal cord for treatment of the upper extremity.
“We discovered that electrical stimulation of specific spinal cord regions allowed patients to move their arms in ways they could not without stimulation,” explained Marco Capogrosso, co-lead author of the study and assistant professor of neurosurgery. bottom. in the pit. “Perhaps even more interestingly, after several weeks of use, we found that some of these improvements persisted even when the stimulation was turned off. This points to an exciting avenue for the future of stroke treatment.” I’m here.”
Capogrosso and team implanted spinal cord stimulator (SCS) leads for 29 days in two patients (females, ages 31 and 47) with chronic limb weakness after stroke. The results showed that two women benefited from the trial, one being able to pick locks, pull and use knives and forks with her left hand. This is something she hasn’t been able to do since her stroke over nine years ago. After removal of the SCS implants, the effects of stimulation diminished, but improvements were measured for up to 4 weeks.
“When the stimulation is turned on, I feel like I have control over my arms and hands again. This has been going on for over nine years,” explained Heather Rendulic, now 33. trial. “Stimulation is tickling and never painful.”
Although this is the latest in SCS treatment for mobility and motor function, and a novel approach, it is not the first to consider restoring performance in stroke survivors. Although the researchers acknowledge that larger studies are needed, the results of this pilot trial are a step toward developing treatments for people with chronic stroke-related arm and hand disorders.
Capogrosso is optimistic about the practical potential of neuroengineering, adding that the easy-to-use stimuli “can be easily translated into the hospital and moved quickly from the lab to the clinic.”
The research results are natural medicineand the following video show the Rendulic treatment experience.
Spinal cord stimulation restores arm movement in woman
Source: University of Pittsburgh
