New treatment can improve walking for people with spinal cord …

A new study has given some spinal injured patients something to be extremely thankful for this Thanksgiving. A new treatment improved their walking ability by more than 250%. The results were published online on November 27 in online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology by researchers at Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Shepherd Center in Atlanta, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Study author Randy D. Trumbower, PT, PhD explained, About 59% of all spinal injuries are incomplete, leaving pathways that could allow the spinal cord to change in a way that allows people to walk again. Unfortunately, usually a person affected by this type of spinal injury seldom recovers the ability to walk normally. Our research proposes a promising new way for the spinal cord to make the connections needed to walk better.

The study group comprised 19 individuals who had suffered spinal cord injuries located between levels C2 and T12 (the area from the neck to the lower chest). The subjects had no shortening of their joints and were able to move their ankles, knees, and hips to some degree. All were able to walk at least one step without human assistance. The treatment involved short periods of breathing decreased oxygen levels, which resulted in a biological condition known as hypoxia. The sessions comprised breathing through a mask for approximately 40 minutes a day for five days; the participants underwent 90 second periods of low oxygen levels followed by 60 seconds of normal oxygen levels. The walking speed and endurance of the participants was tested before the study began, on the first and fifth days of treatment, one week following treatment, and two weeks following treatment.

The 19 subjects were divided into two groups. Nine received the aforementioned treatment, while the other received a sham treatment in which they received only normal oxygen levels. Then two weeks later they received the hypoxia treatment. In the other group, the participants received either the treatment or sham treatment; they then were asked to walk as fast as they could for 30 minutes within one hour of the treatment. Two weeks later, the treatments were switched.

The researchers found that the participants who received just the hypoxia treatment increased their walking speed on a test that involved walking 10 meters (about 10 yards); they walked an average of 3.8 seconds faster than when they did not receive the treatment. The group that underwent the hypoxia treatment plus walking increased their endurance on a test of how far they could walk in six minutes by an average of 100 meters; this marked more than a 250% increase, compared to the group who received the sham treatment plus walking. The walking ability improved among all the subjects. More than 30% of all participants increased their walking speed by at least a tenth of a meter per second; furthermore, more than 70% increased their endurance by at least 50 meters.

Michael G. Fehlings, MD, PhD from the University of Toronto in Canada, wrote a corresponding editorial on the study. He noted, One question this research brings to light is how a treatment that requires people to take in low levels of oxygen can help movement, let alone in those with compromised lung function and motor abilities. A possible answer is that spinal serotonin, a neurotransmitter, sets off a cascade of changes in proteins that help restore connections in the spine.

Although the results appear promising, Dr. Trumbower cautioned that chronic or sustained hypoxia in untrained hands could cause serious injury and should not be attempted outside the scope of a supervised medical treatment. To learn more about spinal cord injuries, click on this link.

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New treatment can improve walking for people with spinal cord ...