February 10, 2025- A new drug-free, minimally invasive intervention targets the root cause of progressive loss of neural function in spinal muscle atrophy (SMA), an inherited neuromuscular disease, according to UPMC. An intervention, which involves electrical stimulation of the sensory spinal nerves, can gradually reawaken functionally silent motor neurons in the spinal cord and improve leg muscle strength and walking in adults with SMA. The findings were reported by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers in Nature Medicine today.
Early results from a pilot clinical trial in three human volunteers with SMA show that one month of regular neurostimulation sessions improved motoneuron function, reduced fatigue and improved strength and walking in all participants, regardless of the severity of their symptoms. The study is first to show that a neurotechnology can be engineered to reverse degeneration of neural circuits and rescue cell function in a human neurodegenerative disease.