{"id":467590,"date":"2024-01-08T12:13:53","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T11:13:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/?p=467590"},"modified":"2024-01-08T12:13:53","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T11:13:53","slug":"a-neuroprosthetic-that-helps-a-paralyzed-man-walk-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/a-neuroprosthetic-that-helps-a-paralyzed-man-walk-again\/","title":{"rendered":"A neuroprosthetic that helps a paralyzed man walk again"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A video of a Parkinson\u2019s patient went viral in early November. It showed how&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/actu.epfl.ch\/news\/parkinson-s-disease-a-neuroprosthetic-to-correct-w\/\">Marc, 62, was able to walk almost normally again<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 rather than \u201cfreezing\u201d at every doorstep \u2013 thanks to a neural implant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few months earlier, another video showed\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/actu.epfl.ch\/news\/thought-controlled-walking-again-after-spinal-co-2\/\">how a man who\u2019d been left paralyzed by an accident regained the ability to move his legs again using only his thought commands<\/a>. The secret in both these cases is a system of flexible electrodes implanted directly on the patients\u2019 spinal cords. These implants, partly developed at technology institute <a href=\"https:\/\/actu.epfl.ch\/news\/methods-for-bypassing-and-treating-spinal-cord-inj\/\">EFPL<\/a>, relay brain signals across the injured area and on to the patients\u2019 limbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"io-block io-block__box\"><h2>Why you need to know this<\/h2><p>Walking and grasping things come naturally to a lot of people, but not to everyone. Fortunately, new technologies can help patients that are paralyzed. <\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Paralyzed man walks again with help of &#039;brain bridge&#039; implant\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sXEBVnrKw64?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Paralyzed man walks again with help of implant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In-depth understanding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Gr\u00e9goire Courtine began studying the brain signals that enable us to walk as part of his PhD thesis in 2003. He is professor of Neuroscience at EPFL, CHUV and UNIL. He then spent years conducting extensive research in order to describe the kinds of electric signals that are sent down the spinal cord and how they\u2019re arranged. In 2012, Courtine\u2019s discoveries led to an amazing achievement:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/actu.epfl.ch\/news\/walking-again-after-spinal-cord-injury\/\">a protocol that allowed paraplegic rats to walk again<\/a>. This breakthrough, published in\u00a0<em>Science<\/em>\u00a0that same year, was a springboard for Courtine and his team. \u201cThe first step in our research was to obtain an in-depth understanding of the physiological mechanisms behind the act of walking,\u201d he says. \u201cOnly then did we start developing electrostimulation procedures that could replicate the signals sent by the brain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Courtine\u2019s success is also due to the experts he works with. One of them is St\u00e9phanie Lacour, a fellow EPFL professor who\u2019s specialized in flexible implants \u2013 the electrodes used in Courtine\u2019s system were developed in her lab. They\u2019re placed directly on the dura mater in order to simulate the brain signals that can\u2019t be transmitted naturally because of a spinal cord injury. The feat of implanting the electrodes was accomplished by Jocelyne Bloch, a neurosurgeon at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"vlp-link-container vlp-layout-basic wp-block-visual-link-preview-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/onwards-technology-can-restore-the-independence-of-those-paralyzed-due-to-spinal-cord-injury\/\" class=\"vlp-link\" title=\"ONWARD&#039;s technology can restore the independence of those paralyzed due to spinal cord injury\"><\/a><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-side\"><div class=\"vlp-block-2 vlp-link-image\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-main\"><div class=\"vlp-block-0 vlp-link-title\">ONWARD&#8217;s technology can restore the independence of those paralyzed due to spinal cord injury<\/div><div class=\"vlp-block-1 vlp-link-summary\">Moving our hands, picking up or holding objects might come naturally to most, but not to everyone.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A large number of possible indications<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This sort of \u201cbridge\u201d between the brain and limbs could be useful for treating a variety of afflictions, not just spinal cord injuries. People with Parkinson\u2019s disease, for example, also have trouble with motor function. And individuals suffering from multiple system atrophy (MSA) \u2013 where dangerous drops in blood pressure mean patients are often bedridden \u2013 can benefit from targeted spinal cord stimulation to restore normal blood pressure. \u201cWhat\u2019s great about our work is that it can be applied to a wide range of pathologies and neurological disorders,\u201d says Courtine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His research team also has the advantage of being able to draw on the latest technology. For instance, they used artificial intelligence to interpret and then replicate the brain signals needed to trigger the right movements in a patient\u2019s limbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Developing a strategy for healing spinal cords<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, Courtine and Bloch head the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.neurorestore.swiss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">.NeuroRestore<\/a>&nbsp;center based jointly at EPFL and the CHUV. Their research there goes beyond developing implants: they\u2019re also looking at how nerve fibers can be regenerated across spinal cord injuries through a combination of gene therapies and rehabilitation procedures potentially involving neural prostheses. \u201cWe believe that, in the future, doctors will be able to fully treat spinal cord injuries by applying two parallel approaches \u2013 a biological one to stimulate nerve-fiber regrowth, and a neuroprosthetic one in which our implants restore effective communication between the brain and the neurons controlling motor function,\u201d said Courtine in September, commenting on a recently published study in&nbsp;<em>Science<\/em>, which he co-authored, that describes a strategy for regrowing nerve fibers in mice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the results obtained by Courtine and his team are remarkable, for now they have helped only a small number of patients taking part in clinical trials. But the scientists have their sights set high. Thanks to the work they\u2019re doing through both .NeuroRestore and their startup Onward Medical, these breakthroughs will likely be only the first steps in the development of therapeutic approaches that will improve the lives of many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Funding and awards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>ONWARD Medical N.V has received a second subsidy from the European Innovation Council (EIC) to support the improvement of the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology for individuals with spinal cord injuries. In 2016 Onward Medical NV, then know as G-Therapeutics, won the Innovation Origins Gerard &amp; Anton\u00a0Award.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"vlp-link-container vlp-layout-basic wp-block-visual-link-preview-link\"><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-side\"><div class=\"vlp-block-2 vlp-link-image\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-main\"><div class=\"vlp-block-0 vlp-link-title\">Brain-computer interface can restore arm, hand functions and aid stroke-related paralysis<\/div><div class=\"vlp-block-1 vlp-link-summary\">A groundbreaking digital bridge has allowed a 40-year-old paraplegic man, Gert-Jan, to walk again using thought control. <\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A video of a Parkinson\u2019s patient went viral in early November. It showed how&nbsp;Marc, 62, was able to walk almost normally again&nbsp;\u2013 rather than \u201cfreezing\u201d at every doorstep \u2013 thanks to a neural implant. A few months earlier, another video showed\u00a0how a man who\u2019d been left paralyzed by an accident regained the ability to move [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2589,"featured_media":505362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[82990,58309,65181,82992,5944],"location":[52892],"article_type":[43139],"serie":[],"archives":[],"internal_archives":[],"reboot-archive":[],"class_list":["post-467590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sustainability-nl","tag-neuroprosthesis","tag-onward","tag-onward-medical","tag-paralyzed","tag-parkinson","location-switzerland","article_type-features"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":{"subtitle":" Scientists have created a neuroprosthetic with the aim of addressing gait disturbances linked to Parkinson's disease.","text_display_homepage":false},"author_meta":{"display_name":"Team IO","author_link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/author\/erikdevries\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/paralyzed-man.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/sustainability-nl\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Sustainability<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Sustainability<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/sustainability-nl\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">neuroprosthesis<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/sustainability-nl\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">ONWARD<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/sustainability-nl\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Onward Medical<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/sustainability-nl\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">paralyzed<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/sustainability-nl\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Parkinson<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">neuroprosthesis<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">ONWARD<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Onward Medical<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">paralyzed<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Parkinson<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 2 years ago","modified":"Updated 2 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on January 8, 2024","modified":"Updated on January 8, 2024"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on January 8, 2024 12:13 pm","modified":"Updated on January 8, 2024 12:13 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2589"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=467590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467590\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/505362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=467590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=467590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=467590"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=467590"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=467590"},{"taxonomy":"serie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/serie?post=467590"},{"taxonomy":"archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/archives?post=467590"},{"taxonomy":"internal_archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal_archives?post=467590"},{"taxonomy":"reboot-archive","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reboot-archive?post=467590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}