An innovative electronic device, which is small and flexible, can be wrapped around the spinal cord to potentially revolutionize the treatment of spinal injuries that often lead to severe disability and paralysis. The devices were created by a team of engineers, neuroscientists, and surgeons, who used them to capture the nerve signals traveling between the brain and the spinal cord. Unlike current methods, the new devices have the ability to record a full 360-degree view of spinal cord activity, providing a comprehensive understanding of the condition.
Spinal injuries can result in severe disability and paralysis.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge, including engineers, neuroscientists, and surgeons, have developed new devices to record nerve signals between the brain and spinal cord. These devices can record a full 360-degree view of spinal cord activity, which is a significant improvement over current methods. Testing on live animals and human cadavers has shown that the devices can also stimulate limb movement and bypass complete spinal cord injuries where communication between the brain and spinal cord has been disrupted.
The treatment of spinal injuries typically involves surgeries that carry high risks, such as piercing the spinal cord with electrodes or implanting devices in the brain. However, researchers at Cambridge have developed a new device that could potentially eliminate the need for brain surgery, making treatments for spinal injuries much safer for patients.
Although these treatments are not expected to be available for several years, the devices could be immediately useful for monitoring spinal cord activity during surgery. This could lead to a better understanding of the spinal cord, ultimately improving treatments for spinal injuries.a variety of conditions, such as long-term pain, swelling, and high blood pressure. These findings were published in the journal Science Advances.
“The spinal cord is similar to a busy highway, transmitting nerve impulses to and from the brain,” explained Professor George Malliaras from the Department of Engineering, who co-led the study. “Injuries to the spinal cord disrupt this flow of traffic, leading to severe disability, including permanent loss of sensory and motor functions.”
Being able to monitor the signals traveling to and from the spinal cord could greatly assist in the creation of treatments forspinal injuries, and it could also be beneficial for the closer term for improved monitoring of the spinal cord during surgery.
“Most technologies for monitoring or stimulating the spinal cord only interact with motor neurons along the back, or dorsal, part of the spinal cord,” stated Dr. Damiano Barone from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, who co-led the study. “These approaches can only reach between 20 and 30 percent of the spine, so you’re getting an incomplete picture.”
By drawing inspiration from microelectronics, the researchers devised a method to obtain information from the entire spine.The spinal cord can now be safely recorded in 360 degrees using thin, high-resolution implants. Previous methods used electrodes that pierced the spine and posed a risk of injury, but the new biocompatible devices developed in Cambridge are just a few millionths of a meter thick and use minimal power. These devices intercept signals on the spinal cord’s nerve fibers, allowing for safe and effective recording.The devices are so thin that they can record signals without causing harm to the nerves, as they don’t penetrate the spinal cord itself. Malliaras explained, “It was a challenging process because we hadn’t previously made spinal implants this way, and it wasn’t clear that we could safely place them around the spine. But due to recent advances in engineering and neurosurgery, we have made significant progress in this important area.” The devices were implanted using an adaptation to routine surgical procedure so they could be slid under the spinal cord without causing damage.Researchers have successfully developed devices that can stimulate limb movement in rat models, with low latency similar to human reflexive movement. These devices have also been tested successfully in human cadaver models, suggesting their potential for use in humans. The researchers believe that their approach could revolutionize the treatment of spinal injuries, potentially eliminating the need for brain implants currently used in such treatments.Barone stated that the issue lies in the connection between the brain and spinal cord. Adding brain surgery to spinal surgery increases the risk to the patient. It would be safer to gather necessary information from the spinal cord in a less invasive way. This approach would be much safer for treating spinal injuries.
Although a treatment for spinal injuries is still in the future, the devices could be valuable for researchers and surgeons to gain a better understanding of this crucial, yet often overlooked, part of human anatomy in a non-invasive manner. The researchers at Cambridge are working on this.We are currently considering using these devices to keep track of nerve activity in the spinal cord while performing surgery. “Studying the entire spinal cord directly in a human has been nearly impossible because of its delicate and complex nature,” Barone explained. “Monitoring it during surgery will enhance our understanding of the spinal cord without causing damage, ultimately leading to the development of improved therapies for conditions such as chronic pain, hypertension, and inflammation. This approach has great potential to benefit patients.” The Royal College of Surgeons, the Academy of Medical Sciences, and Health Education all provided support for the research. the National Institute for Health Research, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) are all part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
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