Apr 07, 2022 19:00:00

A woman suffering from fainting after a short walk recovers her walking ability by 'surgery to implant electrodes in the spinal cord'

A research report was

published in February 2022 that patients with lower body paralysis became able to walk by the method of 'implanting electrodes in the spinal cord and sending electrical stimulation to move muscles'. In March 2022, it was reported that we succeeded in extending the walking distance by implanting electrodes in the spinal cord of a new 'patient who faints after a short walk'.

Implanted System for Orthostatic Hypotension in Multiple-System Atrophy | NEJM
https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2112809

A woman would faint whenever she tried to stand. New implant lets her walk. | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/spinal-implant-for-multiple-system-atrophy

A research team at Lausanne University Hospital is researching the technique of 'embedding electrodes in the spinal cord.' The research team has previously conducted an experiment in which electrodes were implanted in the spinal cord of three male patients who were unable to move their lower body due to a traffic accident, and succeeded in making them walk.

So that three men who are paralyzed due to spinal cord injury can walk again with electrodes embedded in the spinal cord --GIGAZINE

The newly reported study included women with multiple system atrophy (MSA) . In a healthy person, when the blood pressure drops, the heart sends a signal to the brain, which sends a signal through the spinal cord to constrict the arteries, which accelerates the heartbeat and restores blood pressure. However, because MSA patients do not communicate well, about 80% of MSA patients suffer from ' orthostatic hypotension ,' which causes a rapid drop in blood pressure and fainting when they stand up. The female subject was also able to walk up to 5 meters and fainted many times a day.

In this study, in order to lower blood pressure regardless of whether nerve signals are transmitted or not, the function of 'detecting standing and walking movements with an accelerometer and sending a signal to constrict arteries' to the spinal cord of the subject. Embed a device with.

Subjects could only walk 5 meters before implanting the device, but one month after implanting the device they could walk 50 meters, and three months later they could walk more than 250 meters. Eight months later, the subject reported that he 'had no more fainting.'

Patients with MSA are known to die 9 to 10 years after onset. Jocelyne Bloch, who leads the research team, said that the experiment only supported walking ability and did not cure MSA. 'Masu', emphasizing the effects of electrode implantation surgery in the spinal cord.