Paralysed man takes first steps in five years
His lower spinal cord was administered direct electrical stimulation
New York: A man left paralysed below the chest from a hit-and-run car accident in 2006 was able to stand and take steps after electrical stimulation of his spinal cord, The Lancet medical journal said yesterday. Researchers described it as a breakthrough in treating such devastating injuries and opening up exciting paths for tackling paralysis.
Rob Summers, a 25-year-old former college baseball pitcher, can also move his hips, knees, ankles and toes — and has regained some bladder and sexual functionality, researchers said. "It opens up a huge opportunity to improve the daily functioning of these individuals ... but we have a long road ahead," said Susan Harkema, lead researcher of the study from the University of Louisville in Kentucky. "This is not a cure, and Rob's not walking..." Summers received continual direct electrical stimulation of the lower spinal cord for 26 months, a process designed to mimic signals the brain normally transmits to initiate movement. Summers said he was ecstatic.
"To be able to pick up my foot and step down again was unbelievable, but beyond all of that, my sense of wellbeing has changed," he said. "My physique and muscle tone has improved greatly, so much that most people don't even believe I am paralysed."
The study's authors cautioned that more work needs to be done before the technique becomes standard practice. But the results did herald optimism for paraplegics who otherwise have little hope for recovery.
