Mark Gauthier is 63 years old and has not been able to walk or perform basic tasks for nearly 30 years. A diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease when he was just 36 years old caused complications in his coordination and movement. This month he had surgery that gave him the independence he so desired.
A Frenchman, originally from Bordeaux, became the first patient to receive the implant, which helped him improve his ability to walk, reports Reuters.
Gauthier received a neuroprosthesis at the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Switzerland, which consists of a field of electrodes applied to the spinal cord. Combined with an electrical pulse generator under the skin of the abdomen, the device stimulates the spinal cord, activating the leg muscles.
The results of the team’s work, consisting of several health professionals, were published in a scientific journal. Natural medicine this Monday.
The team of researchers involved in the project believes the technology could be used in patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease, most of whom suffer from severe mobility problems. The team plans to conduct clinical trials on six new patients next year.
“We firmly believe that this therapy can benefit many people,” Grégoire Courtin, one of the doctors leading the project, told Reuters.
“With this therapy, if people have more confidence and are able to go outside, have better social interactions and get more things done, that has a huge benefit in their daily activities and quality of life,” said Jocelyn Bloch, the neurosurgeon who performed the surgery. to Gautier.
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological disease characterized by symptoms such as tremors, rigidity and difficulties with balance and coordination. According to the World Health Organization, it affected more than 8.5 million people in 2019.
Author: morning Post
Source: CM Jornal
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