PARALYSED PATIENTS WALK AGAIN

IN February, I wrote about remarkable work at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, helping people with spinal injuries walk again. They had devices implanted into their spine to stimulate nerve cells to communicate with their paralysed limbs. Within five months, all nine patients were able to take steps, using a walking frame for balance. Now the same team has reported that four of the patients no longer need to switch on the devices to walk. It seems that just a few months of electrical stimulation had ‘rebooted’ specific nerve cells and they were now working by themselves. This is quite extraordinary. The next stage will be more trials. Spinal cord stimulation devices are, for example, being evaluated at Glasgow university for helping people with spinal cord injuries improve the strength and function of their arms and hands.