New hope for spine injuries in rat study

Rats with a spinal cord injury that left their hind legs completely paralyzed learned to walk again on their own after an intensive training course that included electrical stimulation of the brain and the spine, scientists reported Thursday.

Researchers have known for some time that stimulation and training can improve muscle control somewhat after such injuries in animals. And last year, an international team of scientists reported the case of a 23-year-old paraplegic who regained the ability to stand for a few minutes at a time after a similar program.

But the new study is the most comprehensive and rigorous presentation to date of what is possible in recovering from such injuries, and the Swiss research team is already working on technology to test the techniques in humans.

The report, published online Thursday in the journal Science, provides a striking demonstration of what, until recently, few scientists thought possible: complete rehabilitation after a disabling blow to the spinal cord. After weeks of training, many of the rats could walk as well as before the injury, and some could run.

The findings do not apply to all spinal injuries. The animals’ spinal columns were cut without being completely severed; there were still some nerve connections that extended intact through the injured area. But this is also the case for a substantial proportion — perhaps a quarter to a third — of people whose injuries are severe enough to confine them to a wheelchair.

“This is a very exciting study, and my first thought is that it is a proof of principle for treating spinal cord injuries from a wide variety of conditions, including cancer and even multiple sclerosis,” said Dr. Vineeta Singh, a neurologist at San Francisco General Hospital and the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the study.