Ninety percent of paralyzed patients regained strength or function in their upper limbs after receiving an experimental therapy, a new study found.
After receiving spinal cord simulation from ONWARD Medical’s ARC-EX system, the participants saw “significant improvement” in their hand and arm function, according to a press release.
The study, published on Monday in Nature Medicine, included 65 participants at 14 leading spinal cord injury centers in the U.S., Europe and Canada.
MANY FAMILIES TAKE PATIENTS OFF LIFE SUPPORT TOO SOON AFTER TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES: STUDYThe participants received non-invasive electrical stimulation of the spinal cord using ARC-EX, and then researchers gauged the safety and effectiveness of the system.
Improvement was seen even in people whose injuries occurred up to 34 years ago, the release stated.
After receiving spinal cord simulation from ONWARD Medical’s ARC-EX system, the participants saw “significant improvement” in hand and arm function, according to a new study.
“When a person suffers a spinal cord injury, after two to three months of rehabilitation, they are sent home and told there is nothing further that can be done,” Dave Marver, CEO of ONWARD Medical, told Fox News Digital.
The company is global; its main headquarters is in The Netherlands.
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“This week’s publication in Nature Medicine heralds a new era in spinal cord injury care. The Up-LIFT trial demonstrated that ONWARD ARC therapy can restore strength and function of the hands and arms up to 34 years after a spinal cord injury.”
“This is a game-changer for the spinal cord injury community and their loved ones.”
Improvement was seen even in people whose injuries occurred up to 34 years ago, the release stated. (iStock)
The trial results far exceeded the researchers’ expected 50% response rate — giving “new hope” to people with SCI, noted lead study author Chet Moritz, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering and rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington, in the release.
After two months, more than half the paralyzed participants regained enough “grasp force” to lift up a filled cup, pick up an item with a fork or insert a key, according to Moritz.
“This is a game-changer for the spinal cord injury community and their loved ones.”
“This indicates not only improved strength and function, but also the potential for greater independence with ARC-EX Therapy,” he said.
Additional benefits included reduced muscle spasms, improved sleep and a greater sense of touch in the upper body, the release said.
Eighty-seven percent of the participants reported having an improved quality of life after receiving the therapy.
After two months, more than half of the paralyzed participants regained enough “grasp force” to lift up a filled cup, the study noted. (iStock)
“Improvement in arm and hand function is among the highest priorities for people with tetraplegia (paralysis in the upper and lower body) who have endured far too long without effective therapies for functional recovery,” Marver, the company CEO, said in the release.
“The findings published in Nature Medicine provide critical and compelling evidence that ARC-EX has the potential to restore independence in daily activities and improve [the patients’] quality of life.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, was not involved in the trial but commented on the results.
“This has been tried for many years with reports that it helps, but it has not yet gone mainstream in patients with upper and lower spinal cord paralysis,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Improvement in arm and hand function is among the highest priorities for people with tetraplegia.”
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