Spinal Cord Gateways to Restore Neurological Function - Grégoire Courtine, PhD & Jocelyne Bloch, MD

In this Keynote Talk from the 2021 American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Annual Scientific Meeting, Grégoire Courtine, PhD and Jocelyne Bloch, MD share their research and findings from their latest abstract.

Description of the session

Spinal cord injury alters the communication between the brain and spinal cord, leading to unrecoverable neurological deficits, including the loss of motor and autonomic functions. We found that epidural electrical stimulation (EES) utilizes large-diameter afferent fibers within the posterior roots as a gateway to spatially and molecularly defined populations of neurons in the spinal cord. This understanding allowed us to design implantable EES systems that precisely modulate neural circuits involved in the regulation of motor and autonomic functions. We show that these systems restored mobility and hemodynamic stability after clinically complete spinal cord injury; but the number of addressable neurological functions with EES is growing.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the promises of epidural electrical stimulation (EES) for spinal cord injury.
• Describe the mechanisms through which EES modulates neural circuits.
• Discuss principles to configure EES to restore mobility and hemodynamic stability

Learn more about how ONWARD is working to translate this research into commercially available products at onwd.com

Thank you to our partners at American Spinal Injury Association for allowing us to share this video with you. Learn more about them at https://asia-spinalinjury.org/

To learn more about Professor Courtine and Dr. Bloch’s research, visit NeuroRestore. NeuroRestore is a research, innovation and treatment center that develops and applies bioengineering strategies involving neurosurgical interventions to restore neurological functions.

About ONWARD - We are a team of scientists, engineers, and physicians, collectively driven to create therapies that change lives. We understand the challenges of those living with spinal cord injury. We do not overpromise. We are here for the highs, lows, and everything in between.

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