New treatment for spinal injuries could have ‘profound benefits’

A new non-invasive treatment for spinal cord injuries could have a “profound benefit” for patients, a study has shown. The new treatment, called ARC-EX therapy, involves programmed electrical stimulation that targets the spinal cord non-invasively and is designed to aid functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

Patients at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) who received the therapy during the two-year trial experienced a range of improvements, including in upper limb and hand function, blood pressure, temperature control and bladder function and of the intestine. One of the five patients in the study, all of whom had been living with spinal cord injuries for some time, even saw a significant improvement in their ability to play the guitar.

Dr Mariel Purcell, who led the Up-LIFT trial at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injury Unit in Glasgow, hailed its potential as a spinal cord injury therapy for both chronic and acute patients.

She said: “This treatment has been shown to be safe and of some benefit to chronic patients. We have seen a real improvement in quality of life and when used in conjunction with traditional therapies there is real potential for wider benefits, particularly in the acute phase of spinal cord injury.
“The study looked at upper limb and hand function in chronic patients, but applied acutely to newly injured patients with standard rehabilitation, non-invasive spinal cord stimulation can have profound benefits. There is no other treatment like this.”

Writer and journalist Melanie Reid, who has lived with spinal cord injury for more than 10 years and was one of the patients in the study, said the therapy gave her a “real boost”.

She said: “Your hands are taken for granted, but they are vital to so many aspects of one’s quality of life. For me, the study gave me a real boost. My hands were much more useful and gave me much more. confidence, especially to use my left hand.”

She added: “After many years in the chair, I’ve learned to accept my limits, so it was great to think, ‘Yes, I can do more.’ The benefits were real – and I’m still feeling them more. over two years after the study.

“No miracles here – we’re talking tiny gains – but even something as basic as being able to feed yourself for the first time…wouldn’t that be fantastically profound?”

Professor Gregoire Courtine, co-founder of ONWARD Medical, who led the study, said it had “proved the principle” of the therapy and attention could now turn to looking at its effect on other functions.

“The study showed that the device is safe and effective and we proved the principle. Now we can look at applying stimulation to other functions, such as walking,” he said. “This is not a cure – it’s important to emphasize that – but we are at the beginning of a journey that makes recovery from spinal cord injury a real possibility.”

The device is expected to be approved for use in the US this year, with approval across Europe expected shortly thereafter. The Up-LIFT study, which was published in the journal Nature Medicine, was led by ONWARD Medical and involved medical teams from around the world. It was one of hundreds of new research studies and trials that take place in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde every year.