A “Bypass Route” for the Spinal Cord: Scientists Develop New Way to Restore Movement and Sensation

Scientists have developed a flexible device that can simultaneously record signals related to movement, sensation, and the functioning of internal organs directly from the spinal cord. The technology could potentially bypass a damaged section of the spinal cord and restore several lost functions at once. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.

Researchers from Houston Methodist and the University of Cambridge have developed a flexible neural interface that wraps around the spinal cord and can simultaneously detect different types of nerve signals.

According to the researchers, more than 2.5 million people worldwide are living with spinal cord injuries. Current technologies for restoring function typically focus on individual capabilities, such as movement, sensation, or control of internal organs.

The new system takes a fundamentally different approach. Rather than attempting to repair the damaged section itself, the researchers aim to create a bypass route for neural signals.

In preclinical experiments, the device was able to detect signals associated with the intention to perform specific movements and distinguish between several types of sensory information. The system also identified signals originating from internal organs.

One particularly important finding, according to the researchers, was that the technology demonstrated its functionality on a larger anatomical model. This is considered a necessary step before the technology could potentially advance to human trials.

The authors suggest that, in the future, such a neural interface could be used to develop a new generation of neuroprosthetics — systems that directly interact with the nervous system, allowing damaged sections to be bypassed or lost functions to be replaced.

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