It’s a brain zap treatment.
New research suggests that deep brain stimulation (DBS) could help restore some hand and arm function for patients who have lost mobility due to stroke or traumatic brain injury.
DBS involves surgically implanting electrodes in specific areas of the brain to deliver electrical impulses. It is most commonly used to treat movement issues related to Parkinson’s disease.
“Millions of people worldwide suffer from arm and hand paralysis, which drastically lowers their quality of life,” explained Elvira Pirondini, assistant professor of physical medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and the study’s corresponding author. “Currently, we lack effective treatment options for patients who have experienced stroke or traumatic brain injury, but there’s growing interest in using neuro-technologies like brain stimulation to improve motor function in the upper limbs.”
In this study, the researchers focused on stimulating the motor thalamus, a part of the brain that plays a key role in movement control. Since this approach had not been explored before, they first tested DBS on monkeys, whose motor system connections closely resemble those of humans. The results were immediate—muscle activation and grip strength improved as soon as the stimulation was activated, and no involuntary movements occurred.
Following the success in animal trials, the same technique was applied to a human patient who had severe arm paralysis caused by a brain injury. This participant had already been scheduled to receive DBS to treat tremors. When the DBS was turned on, the patient showed marked improvement in both range of motion and muscle strength. Tasks like lifting a moderately heavy object and grasping a cup became smoother and more efficient.
The study’s findings, published on October 1 in Nature Communications, highlight the potential of DBS to significantly improve mobility in paralyzed limbs. “DBS has been transformative for many patients,” said senior author Dr. Jorge González-Martínez, director of the epilepsy and movement disorders program at the University of Pittsburgh. “This technique offers new hope for millions of people around the world.”
Moving forward, the research team aims to explore the long-term effects of DBS to determine if continuous stimulation can lead to even greater improvements in hand and arm mobility for those affected by brain injuries or stroke.
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