Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that causes movement disorders such as hand tremors, and as the condition worsens, walking on one’s own becomes difficult. A case was reported in which a French man who was unable to walk due to Parkinson’s disease was able to walk up to 6 kilometers a day again after undergoing surgery to install an implant that helps transmit signals from the spinal cord to the legs.
A 63-year-old man from Bordeaux, France, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease more than 20 years ago and developed severe motor problems, including impaired balance and legs. Regarding his appearance at the time, he said that he became unable to walk without falling several times a day, and that there were times when he felt frozen in place when riding the elevator.
Parkinson’s disease is caused by the loss of neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. Treatment with drugs such as dihydroxyphenylalanine can improve symptoms, but normal movement cannot be completely restored.
Therefore, the research team at the University Hospital of Lausanne in Switzerland performed surgery to bury an implant with electrodes in the man’s spinal cord to restore normal signal transmission from his spinal cord to his leg muscles. Spinal cord implants have not been tested in full clinical trials, but past studies have reported that embedding spinal cord implants in patients who were paralyzed from the waist down due to spinal cord damage enabled them to walk again.
The spinal implant in this man targets the area of the spinal cord that activates the leg muscles when walking. First, the research team created an anatomical map of the spinal cord and accurately identified the area that sends signals to move the legs. Then, by embedding electrodes in this area, stimulation could be sent directly to the spinal cord.
Additionally, motion sensors are installed on both legs, and when the patient starts walking, the spinal implant switch automatically turns on and begins sending electrical stimulation to spinal neurons. This is a structure that modifies signal transmission from the brain to the spinal cord and restores normal movement. The research team said the patient was never controlled by the machine and was improving his walking ability.
In fact, as a result of analyzing the man’s walking ability after surgery, it was found that the spinal cord implant improved walking and balance disorders and that his walking ability was more similar to that of healthy people than to other Parkinson’s disease patients. Quality of life was also reported to have improved significantly.
The man said he is no longer afraid of stairs and that every Sunday he goes to the lake and walks about 6km. The research team says it is impressive that they can improve walking difficulties caused by Parkinson’s disease, similar to paralysis patients, by electrically stimulating the spinal cord. Because more complete clinical trials are needed to prove clinical effectiveness, the research team is enrolling six new patients for surgery and plans to continue improving and testing for at least the next five years. Related information: this placeYou can check it here.
