Targeted neurotechnology restores walking in humans with spinal cord injury
Fabien Bertrand Paul Wagner
(1)
,
Jean-Baptiste Mignardot
(1)
,
Camille Le Goff-Mignardot
(1)
,
Robin Demesmaeker
(1)
,
Salif Komi
(1)
,
Marco Capogrosso
(2)
,
Andreas Rowald
(1)
,
Ismael Seáñez
(1)
,
Miroslav Caban
(1, 3)
,
Elvira Pirondini
(1)
,
Molywan Vat
(4)
,
Laura Mccracken
(1)
,
Roman Heimgartner
(1)
,
Isabelle Fodor
(4)
,
Anne Watrin
(3)
,
Perrine Seguin
(1)
,
Edoardo Paoles
(3)
,
Katrien van den Keybus
(4)
,
Grégoire Eberle
(4)
,
Brigitte Schurch
(4)
,
Etienne Pralong
(4)
,
Fabio Becce
(4)
,
John O Prior
(4)
,
Nicholas Buse
(5)
,
Rik Buschman
(5)
,
Esra Neufeld
(6)
,
Niels Kuster
(6)
,
Stefano Carda
(4)
,
Joachim von Zitzewitz
(3)
,
Vincent Delattre
(3)
,
Tim Denison
(5)
,
Hendrik Lambert
(3)
,
Karen Minassian
(1)
,
Jocelyne Bloch
(4)
,
Grégoire Courtine
(1)
1
EPFL -
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
2 UNIFR - Université de Fribourg = University of Fribourg
3 GTX medical
4 CHUV - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois = Lausanne University Hospital [Lausanne]
5 Medtronic, Minneapolis
6 Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (IT’IS)
2 UNIFR - Université de Fribourg = University of Fribourg
3 GTX medical
4 CHUV - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois = Lausanne University Hospital [Lausanne]
5 Medtronic, Minneapolis
6 Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (IT’IS)
Fabien Bertrand Paul Wagner
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 183283
- IdHAL : fabien-wagner
- ORCID : 0000-0002-9582-6109
Robin Demesmaeker
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 800032
- ORCID : 0000-0003-0856-0929
Perrine Seguin
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1226754
- IdHAL : perrine-rose-seguin
- ORCID : 0000-0001-7246-6617
Fabio Becce
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 800033
- ORCID : 0000-0001-8444-8504
John O Prior
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 795686
- ORCID : 0000-0003-1429-1374
- IdRef : 139169628
Esra Neufeld
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 800034
- ORCID : 0000-0001-5528-6147
Karen Minassian
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 800030
- ORCID : 0000-0003-4197-6141
Jocelyne Bloch
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 775266
- ORCID : 0000-0002-6405-1590
Grégoire Courtine
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 774847
- ORCID : 0000-0002-5744-4142
- IdRef : 08806655X
Résumé
Spinal cord injury leads to severe locomotor deficits or even complete leg paralysis. Here we introduce targeted spinal cord stimulation neurotechnologies that enabled voluntary control of walking in individuals who had sustained a spinal cord injury more than four years ago and presented with permanent motor deficits or complete paralysis despite extensive rehabilitation. Using an implanted pulse generator with real-time triggering capabilities, we delivered trains of spatially selective stimulation to the lumbosacral spinal cord with timing that coincided with the intended movement. Within one week, this spatiotemporal stimulation had re-established adaptive control of paralysed muscles during overground walking. Locomotor performance improved during rehabilitation. After a few months, participants regained voluntary control over previously paralysed muscles without stimulation and could walk or cycle in ecological settings during spatiotemporal stimulation. These results establish a technological framework for improving neurological recovery and supporting the activities of daily living after spinal cord injury.