In this podcast episode, hosts Vincent R and Tim Chong introduce a case study on a groundbreaking paper published in Nature in 2023 titled “Walking naturally after spinal cord injury using a brain-spine interface.” The patient in the study, who experienced an incomplete spinal cord injury ten years prior to the research, faced paralysis in his lower legs but retained upper limb mobility. The researchers made the paper open access with four accompanying videos detailing the technology used and the patient’s recovery progress. The hosts begin by discussing the intricacies of motor functions such as walking, which involve more than just motor control, and mention a historical fact about a headless chicken named Mike that was able to run around for a year with its brain stem intact. Subsequently, they delve into research conducted over a century ago determining the minimal brain necessary for walking, focusing on the role of the brain stem and the spinal cord.
They also discuss recent studies on central pattern generators in the spinal cord responsible for rhythmic neuronal firing that mimics walking and the potential for engineered solutions to trigger walking artificially. The hosts also discuss the possibility of reestablishing connections between damaged neurons and the challenges of translating animal research to humans.
Furthermore, the Vincent and Tim mention experiments conducted on rats using electrical and chemical stimulation to help the animals walk again, reporting significant progress with voluntary limb movement. They highlight the significance of this research in paving the way for potential advancements in human spinal cord injury recovery. The speakers also mention the ongoing work of decoding brainwaves and transmitting signals to the spinal cord to help individuals with spinal cord injuries move their limbs.
The episode concludes with the importance of proprioception in walking and the potential benefits of combining chemical and engineering approaches to promote recovery from spinal cord injuries.
Click here for the full podcast:
