A 62-year-old Parkinson’s patient named Marc from Bordeaux, France has experienced a significant improvement in his ability to walk due to a spinal implant. Before the implant, Marc suffered frequent falls and had difficulty moving in certain situations, feeling as though he was frozen in place. The implant, which includes an electrode field placed against the spinal cord and an impulse generator under the skin of the abdomen, targets the spinal area to activate leg muscles necessary for walking.
The procedure involved creating a personalized map of Marc’s spinal cord to identify the specific locations that signal leg movements. With movement sensors on each leg, the implant detects when Marc tries to walk and sends electrical impulses to the targeted spinal neurons, adapting to his movement in real-time. After several weeks of rehabilitation, Marc can now walk almost normally for around eight hours a day, only turning off the device when resting or sleeping. He can even walk 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) around a lake every Sunday.
Although Marc’s case is promising, researchers note that there is a significant difference between customizing this approach for one individual and optimizing it for broader use. The research team, led by Grégoire Courtine and Jocelyne Bloch, is working on a commercial version of the neuroprosthetic in collaboration with Onward Medical. Their goal is to make this technology widely accessible to improve the quality of life for Parkinson’s patients globally. Further research on six new patients is set to continue in 2024, supported by a $1 million donation from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which has already contributed over $1.5 billion to Parkinson’s research.
Key Takeaways:
- A Parkinson’s patient regained significant walking ability after receiving a spinal implant that sends electrical impulses to neurons involved in leg movement.
- The innovative treatment focuses on the spinal cord rather than the brain and uses a personalized spinal map to target specific areas for stimulation.
- The success of the procedure suggests potential for developing a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease, although it is currently tailored to an individual and not yet widely available.
“I turn on the stimulation in the morning and I turn off in the evening. This allows me to walk better and to stabilize. Right now, I’m not even afraid of the stairs anymore. Every Sunday I go to the lake, and I walk around 6 kilometers. It’s incredible.”
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