Groundbreaking Progress Shown in Paralyzed Patients

A groundbreaking clinical trial in China successfully enabled four paralysed patients to regain control and movement of their legs.

“If we implant a spinal interface and combine it with three to five years of rehabilitation training, the patient’s nerves can reconnect and be reshaped. Ultimately, we may free patients from device dependence,” says Jia Fumin, lead researcher from the Fudan Brain-like Intelligence Science and Technology Research Institute.

The study revokes the idea that paralysis from spinal cord injuries is irreversible. Instead, researchers at Shanghai’s Fudan University found that the trial patients regained partial movement and some sensation just hours after undergoing a minimally invasive surgery. The researchers implanted electrode chips in both the brain and spinal cord, ultimately reestablishing communication pathways between the two. According to the study, within weeks, all four patients were able to walk independently once again. The impact of this technology could be enormous, potentially benefiting millions of patients with spinal cord injuries.