Hospital study shows new hope for spinal injuries
A GLASGOW hospital has published the promising results of a ground- breaking study into new treatments for spinal cord injuries.
Led by Dr Mariel Purcell, a consultant in Spinal Injuries, the Up- LIFT study at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit has shown promising results.
Dr Purcell said: “This treatment has been proven to be safe, and of some benefit to chronic patients.
“We saw a real improvement in quality of life, and when used alongside traditional therapies, there’s real potential for wider benefits, particularly in the acute phase of spinal cord injury.”
Published in the journal Nature Medicine, the study explored ARCEX Therapy – a new treatment involving electrical stimulation that targets the spinal cord noninvasively and aids in functional recovery post- injury.
The study, run by ONWARD Medical, involved teams globally.
The NHSGGC study focused on five patients who were in the chronic phase of their injury.
They experienced a range of benefits, one significant one being an impact on a patient’s ability to play the guitar.
Melanie Reid, a writer and journalist living with spinal cord injury for more than a decade, was one of the participants who benefitted.
She said: “For me, the study gave me a real boost.
“My hands were much more useful, and it gave me much more confidence, particularly to use my left hand.
“It’s a woman’s right to be able to put her hair up in a scrunchie, and the therapy allowed me to do that.
“The benefits were real and I’m still feeling them more than two years after the study.
“There are no miracles here we’re talking about tiny gains but even something as basic as being able to feed yourself for the first time wouldn’t that be fantastically profound?”
Dr Purcell is excited about the potential of the Up- LIFT device beyond the study.
She said: “The study looked at upper limb and hand function in chronic patients, but applied acutely in newly injured patients with standard rehabilitation, noninvasive spinal cord stimulation may have profound benefit. There’s no other treatment like this.”
Susan Groom, director of regional services at NHSGGC, said: “The Up- LIFT study is a classic example of how our work in research and innovation can have a direct benefit for patients.”