Photo courtesy of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Making Connections
OSU and Battelle work to restore function for victims of spinal cord injury
It was a little over 20 years ago that Christopher Reeve, the actor known for his iconic portrayal of Superman in four movies from 1978 to 1987, was rendered quadriplegic by a horse-riding accident.
The accident fractured his top two vertebrae and left him unable to move his limbs until his death in 2004. There was little to no hope at the time that Superman could have ever regained movement. But today, with the advances of The Ohio State University and Battelle, paralyzed individuals have that hope thanks to NeuroLife.
Paralysis is caused by many different things, but with injury-onset paralysis, it is almost always an injury to the spinal cord. The spinal cord connects the brain to the rest of the body, thus allowing us to use impulses from our brains to control our limbs. When it is injured, stimulus that travels – through chemical and electrical depolarization – down your cord cannot do so effectively, thus preventing the stimuli from reaching the muscles and effectively stopping movement. Likewise, any pain traveling from the extremities cannot be sensed by the brain.
Photo courtesy of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Making Connections
Spinal cord injuries happen to approximately 7,800 people each year in the United States, and about a quarter of a million people have spinal cord injuries, with motor vehicle accidents comprising more than 44 percent of all cases, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association Resource Center. In more than 40 of these cases, complete paralysis does occur.
Needless to say, such injuries establish drastic need for innovative technology.
In comes NeuroLife. After a decade of research, OSU and Battelle have made significant progress helping people suffering from serious spinal cord injuries.
NeuroLife is a neural bypass system that “detours” the stimulus around the affected area and into the muscles necessary.
“The NeuroLife system records a subject’s brain signals about specific movements and translates those into muscle stimulation patterns. Those patterns are transmitted to an electrode array on the subject’s arm, which stimulates muscles to enable those movements,” Battelle research team leaders Herb Bresler and Nick Annetta have written. “In other words, the subject thinks about moving their paralyzed limb, and the NeuroLife system enables the subject to make the specific movement.”
While still only used for clinical research, this new technology has incredible potential for individuals of all types in the very near future and offers an alternative from current technology.
Photo courtesy of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Making Connections
“This technology allows the user to activate his or her own muscles just by thinking about it,” Bresler and Annetta write. “Other systems have used thought to control prosthetic limbs and other mechanical devices. It’s the first time a paralyzed person has used his or her thoughts to create specific, dexterous movements.”
And in one specific case, this technology has already proved to be astounding, leading to significant excitement in the scientific community.
“In primary market interviews with surgeons, physicians, clinicians and therapists, all participants felt the technology demonstrated a significant breakthrough,” Bresler and Annetta write. “So far, we’ve conducted tests with one person with significant results. We plan to add more subjects to the clinical study in the future so we can continue (to) help enhance and evolve the technology.”
That person is Ian Burkhart, a quadriplegic from Dublin who, after a three-hour surgery in summer 2014, gained the ability to move his hands and fingers for the first time in the four years since the car accident that left him paralyzed.
“The surgery required the precise implantation of the microchip sensor in the area of Ian’s brain that controls his arm and hand movements,” says OSU neuroscience researcher and physician Dr. Ali Rezai.
“The NeuroLife Team and our collaborators at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center are thrilled to be utilizing, developing and refining this breakthrough technology to help people suffering from paralysis,” Bresler and Annetta write. “We are humbled by the opportunity to work with such courageous volunteer patients.”
David Allen is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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