Spring / Summer 2024 | Research 13
Testing Advances on Spinal Cord Stimulation for Gait and Balance
In another example of technology meeting medicine , a surgically implanted device helped a man who has lived with Parkinson ’ s for 30 years regain the ability to walk , according to a report from MJFF-funded researchers in Nature Medicine . The device is the first to target and stimulate nerves in the spinal cord that control leg movements . By amplifying the electronic signals traveling between the brain and the lower body , it addresses locomotor deficits that occur in 90 percent of people with PD . The researchers now plan to test the device in six more people with Parkinson ’ s in preparation for a larger clinical trial with support from MJFF .
Brain Diseases Can Share Previously Undetected Biology
The new alpha-synuclein seeding amplification assay is helping researchers uncover previously undocumented interconnections in the biology underpinning major brain diseases . For example , some individuals who test positive for the tau and β-amyloid pathology that is a hallmark of Alzheimer ’ s disease also test positive for the alpha-synuclein pathology that is a hallmark of Parkinson ’ s disease . Researchers want to learn more about how multiple pathologies and disease biomarkers drive symptoms and health trajectories . The findings highlight how new research tools are advancing our understanding of neurodegeneration and point to a growing role for biomarkers in shaping clinical trials and improving precision medicine for PD and other brain diseases .