A groundbreaking new implant has restored a man’s ability to walk after 25 years of suffering from Parkinson’s disease, a study published in the journal Nature Medicine reveals. Marc Gauthier, 63, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 36, experienced decreased locomotive functioning as the illness progressed. With the help of an experimental, surgically implanted device, he can now walk over three miles without stopping.
According to an interview with NeuroRestore, a Swiss research and treatment center that works to restore neurological functions, Gauthier stated, “Getting into an elevator … sounds simple. For me, before, it was impossible … Now … I have no problem,”
Parkinson’s is a brain disorder that results in degeneration of the nervous system. Roughly 90% of patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease experience what the study calls “locomotor deficits,” which impact the ability to walk freely. The epidural implant, developed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, University Hospital Lausanne, and NeuroRestore, sits on the lower region of the spinal cord and sends signals to the legs through the brain. This implant stimulates nerves to “alleviate asymmetry and promote longer steps, improve balance and reduce freezing of gait,” allowing the leg muscles to move more comfortably, according to the study.
After the implantation, rehabilitation sessions were conducted two to three times a week for three months. Grégoire Courtine, director of NeuroRestore, stated, “This is only one participant. We don’t know whether all the individuals with Parkinson’s disease will respond to the therapy.” The team is committed to building out the technology and testing it on six additional patients in the near future.
