Could Deep Brain Stimulation Restore Mobility for People with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries?
“Can I run again soon?”
It’s a question Paul Boeren, chairman of the Dutch Spinal Cord Injury Organization, is pondering. He’s closely following a groundbreaking new study recently published in the science journal Nature.
The research suggests that deep brain stimulation (DBS), a technique traditionally used to treat brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease, might hold the key to helping people with incomplete spinal cord injuries walk again.
DBS involves implanting electrodes in specific areas of the brain. These electrodes deliver electrical impulses that target and modulate brain activity.
While traditional rehabilitation focuses on strengthening existing neural pathways for movement, DBS appears to work on the brain in a completely different way – by stimulating an area of the brain that wasn’t previously known to be involved in movement.
In this study, a paralyzed patient regained the ability to walk thanks to DBS. This opens up a world of possibilities for individuals with similar injuries.
"It’s astounding," Paul confessed. A traffic accident in
2009 left him with an incomplete spinal cord injury.
While intensive rehabilitation allowed him to walk again, balance remains a challenge.
He said, “After an injury like mine, you can learn to control your muscles again. But it’s challenging. I constantly need to focus, and I wish I could feel the tension in my muscles like I used to."
He knows what it’s like to carry the weight of limited mobility.
He believes that DBS could change everything.
"
imagined you lived with where DBS could be the answer.
Beyond Archives, a needle lasted for months – imagine the hope this sort of news provides. My biggest dream going to even further. I was always about the potential it. ">
Rehabilitation doctor Ilse van Nes at
What are the long-term effects of deep brain stimulation for people with incomplete spinal cord injuries, and are there any potential risks?
## Could Deep Brain Stimulation Restore Mobility for People with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries?
**[Intro Music]**
**Host:** Welcome back to the show. Today we’re discussing a potentially groundbreaking development in the treatment of spinal cord injuries. Joining us is Alex Reed, a leading researcher in the field of neurostimulation. Alex Reed, thanks for being with us.
**Alex Reed:** It’s a pleasure to be here.
**Host:** Let’s talk about this new study that’s generating so much excitement. Can you tell us a bit about what it involved and what the findings were?
**Alex Reed:** Absolutely. This study, published recently by US News & World Report [[1](https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-12-03/deep-brain-stimulation-helps-two-patients-walk-after-spinal-cord-injury)], explored the use of deep brain stimulation in patients with spinal cord injuries. Specifically, they targeted the lateral hypothalamus, a brain region involved in movement control. The results were remarkable. Two patients who were previously unable to walk regained the ability to do so after receiving the deep brain stimulation.
**Host:** That’s amazing! Could you elaborate on the type of spinal cord injuries these patients had? Were they complete or incomplete injuries?
**Alex Reed:** The article doesn’t specify the exact nature of their injuries, but it does mention that they were paralyzed due to spinal cord injury. This suggests they likely had incomplete injuries, meaning there was some degree of nerve function remaining below the level of the injury.
**Host:**
And this is where the deep brain stimulation comes in, right? By stimulating the correct area of the brain, it can help bypass the damaged area of the spinal cord and re-establish some communication pathways?
**Alex Reed:** Exactly. It’s essentially rewiring the brain to compensate for the damaged circuitry in the spinal cord.
**Host:** This is obviously very early research, but what are the implications of these findings for the millions of people living with spinal cord injuries?
**Alex Reed:** This is a huge step forward. While it’s still early days, it suggests that deep brain stimulation could potentially restore mobility in people with incomplete spinal cord injuries.
**Host:** And what about the future of this research? What are the next steps?
**Alex Reed:** More research is needed, of course, to understand the long-term effects of this treatment and to determine its effectiveness in a larger patient population. Clinical trials are likely ongoing or planned to further explore deep brain stimulation as a therapeutic option for spinal cord injuries.
**Host:** Well, this is certainly a story to watch closely. Thank you so much for sharing your insights with us today, Alex Reed.
**Alex Reed:** My pleasure.
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