Deep Brain Stimulation: Hope for Mobility Restoration in Spinal Cord Injuries

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



How could deep brain stimulation improve the quality of‍ life for individuals with incomplete spinal cord injuries?

## Could Deep Brain Stimulation Restore Mobility for People with ⁣Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries?

**(Interviewer)**: ​Welcome ⁤to the ⁢show,⁣ Paul. We’re talking about‌ a potentially revolutionary new treatment ​for spinal cord injuries, specifically deep brain stimulation. What’s got you so excited about this research?

**(Paul Boeren)**: As chairman ‌of ​the Dutch Spinal ⁢Cord Injury Organization, I hear from people‍ every day who⁢ are looking for hope, for a chance to regain some of what they’ve lost. This study, [[1](https://neurosciencenews.com/brain-stimulation-sci-walking-28150/)], shows that deep brain stimulation⁤ targeting​ the ⁣lateral ⁢hypothalamus could ‌be that hope for people with incomplete ⁤spinal cord injuries. It’s not‍ just about improving mobility while the​ stimulation is active, but the ⁣research suggests ‌it could lead to lasting neurological improvements even after the stimulation is stopped.

**(Interviewer)**: This sounds incredibly promising. Can you explain⁣ how it works?

**(Paul Boeren)**: Imagine it like rewiring the brain. ​ Deep brain stimulation works by sending electrical impulses to ⁢specific ‍areas in the brain. This study found that stimulating the lateral hypothalamus can help “reawaken” dormant neural circuits responsible for ⁣walking.

**(Interviewer)**: Do ‍we know how long these improvements last?

**(Paul Boeren)**: That’s still being researched. ⁣The study showed positive results for the duration of the stimulation ⁣and indicated significant improvements even afterwards, but the long-term effects need further investigation.

**(Interviewer)**: This is still early research, but the potential is​ extraordinary.

**(Paul Boeren)**: Absolutely. For someone who may⁣ have thought they’d never walk again, the possibility of regaining even partial mobility is life-changing. It could mean independence, better quality of life, ⁢the chance to do things they thought were gone forever. This research gives us⁣ hope. We need to ‍continue ​exploring⁤ this avenue and invest in future studies to make ⁣this a reality for as many people as ‍possible.

**(Interviewer)**: Thank you, Paul, for sharing your insights and hope ‍with us.

**(Paul Boeren)**: Thank you ⁤for having me.