In a groundbreaking advancement, a non-invasive method of spinal stimulation has shown the potential to restore hand and arm function in patients with tetraplegia, as revealed in a clinical trial featured in the journal Nature Medicine.
The trial, which spanned across the United States, Canada, and Europe, involved 60 patients who underwent spinal stimulation therapy across a minimum of 24 sessions over two months. The results were remarkable, with 72 percent witnessing significant improvements in arm and hand strength and functionality. Furthermore, a striking 90 percent experienced at least one positive outcome in strength or function.
Patients could feel the non-surgical electrical stimulation, described as an internal “buzz,” which is key to the therapy’s success. “The most exciting thing for us is that we’re seeing effects that improve quality of life,” Chet Moritz, a co-author of the study and co-director for the Center for Neurotechnology at the University of Washington, said in a press briefing. “And also, we believe that the stimulation may be causing neuroplasticity or, in a sense, healing part of the damage to the spinal cord injury, such that the benefits persist beyond stimulation.”
The study’s design drew attention due to its prospective nature, bypassing the gold standard of a randomized, double-blind placebo control trial. This decision stemmed from the challenge of creating a sham treatment that could replicate the feeling of stimulation without the effects and ethical concerns regarding placebo treatments for individuals with tetraplegia.
Edelle Field-Fote, another co-author and director of Spinal Cord Injury Research at Shepherd Center in Georgia, highlighted the differences observed during the trial. She stated, “very dramatic for many of the measures.”
Furthermore, Melanie Reid, a journalist who became partially paralyzed following a horse-riding accident, regained control of her previously unusable left hand using the device. The stimulation aids voluntary movements by making the nerves more receptive to signals, even stimulating the growth of new nerves over time, thus explaining the persistent benefits post-treatment.
This technology offers an accessible route to enhanced upper-body function, without the commitment and expense of surgical options. According to Field-Fote, “There are many, many people who are not interested in invasive technologies.” The device, termed ARCex, is expected to potentially receive approval later this year.
Relevant articles:
– Non-invasive zaps to the spinal cord can treat paralysis—but no one knows why, Ars Technica
– A device that zaps the spinal cord gave paralyzed people better control of their hands, MIT Technology Review
– In test, zaps to spine help 2 stroke survivors move arms, apnews.com