Researchers at Switzerland’s Federal Polytechnic School have announced a breakthrough in spinal chord research after scientists restored voluntary lower body movement to a paralyzed rat.

 

Scientists used a system of neurorehabilitation involving a robotic harness and electrical-chemical stimulation to bring the rat’s central nervous system back to full operational capacity. The findings surpass our previous understanding of neuroplasticity, the way in which the brain and spinal chord recover from minor injuries, proving that under certain conditions, plasticity can take place in far more severe cases.

 

To achieve this degree of neuroplasticity, lead author Grégoire Courtine and his team injected a chemical solution of monoamine agonists into the injured rates, triggering cell responses by binding to specific dopamine, adrenaline and serotonin receptors located the spinal neurons. This cocktail replaced the neurotransmitters released by healthy subjects.

 

Five to 10 minutes after the injection, the scientists electrically stimulated the spinal cord with electrodes implanted in the outermost layer of the spinal canal, called the epidural space.

 

It is still unclear whether or not this method can be applied to human patients, but Mr Courtine said the findings hit at new methods for treating paralysis.

 

The results, published in the June 1 issue of Science, are the culmination of a five year study that promise to radically change our understanding of the central nervous system.