Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. Journal articles
  4. Spinal cord stimulation restores locomotion in a Parkinson's disease patient and rodents
 
research article

Spinal cord stimulation restores locomotion in a Parkinson's disease patient and rodents

Slack, Jacob C.
•
Rees, Benjamin
•
Borda, Eleonora  
Show more
September 1, 2025
Brain Stimulation

Introduction: Dorsal column stimulation (DCS) of the spinal cord is emerging as a promising new technology to treat Parkinson's disease (PD). However, optimal stimulation settings that maximize its therapeutic effect on PD symptoms are yet to be determined. To optimize DCS therapy, it is necessary to understand its impact on pathological brain oscillations and to deliver stimulation triggered by neurophysiological biomarkers of PD. Materials and methods: We developed beta-triggered DCS (BT-DCS), where DCS was triggered by ongoing corticostriatal beta oscillations, and tested it in the bilateral intra-striatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat model of PD. To evaluate the translational potential of DCS in humans, we recorded local field potentials (LFPs) from bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) electrodes in a sixty-year-old PD subject with freezing of gait (FOG) symptoms before and three days after implantation of DCS leads. Results: DCS triggered by corticostriatal beta oscillations facilitated a pro-locomotion brain state that improved locomotion, reduced akinesia, and desynchronized ongoing oscillations in the rat model. BT-DCS achieved higher efficacy with less overall charge delivery than continuous stimulation. In the PD subject, DCS increased gait velocity and stride length, reduced freezing episodes, and desynchronized subthalamic nucleus (STN) beta oscillations, while modulating phase-amplitude coupling (PAC). When applied simultaneously with deep brain stimulation (DBS), DCS had a combinatory effect on gait improvement. Conclusion: Based on the effective implementation of BT-DCS in modulating supraspinal pathological brain activity in rats, we envision that incorporating a brain biomarker signal in delivering DCS therapy in humans could improve relief from Parkinsonian gait issues.

  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
research article
DOI
10.1016/j.brs.2025.07.020
Scopus ID

2-s2.0-105012757102

Author(s)
Slack, Jacob C.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Rees, Benjamin

University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Borda, Eleonora  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Slack, Jonah

Indiana University Bloomington

Nicolelis, Miguel A.L.

Duke University School of Medicine

Zauber, S. Elizabeth

Indiana University School of Medicine

Gupta, Kunal

Medical College of Wisconsin

Yadav, Amol P.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Date Issued

2025-09-01

Published in
Brain Stimulation
Volume

18

Issue

5

Start page

1407

End page

1422

Subjects

Beta oscillations

•

Deep brain stimulation

•

Dorsal column stimulation

•

Freezing of gait

•

Movement disorders

•

Parkinson's disease

•

Spinal cord stimulation

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
EPFL  
FunderFunding(s)Grant NumberGrant URL

Indiana University School of Medicine , Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence

Indiana University

Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

Show more
Available on Infoscience
August 20, 2025
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/253030
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés