Oxygen Deprivation as Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

posted on Dec 09 by Guest Author in the Disability News, Health, Healthcare, Paralysis Cures, Spinal Cord Injury category

A researcher from the Emory University School of Medicine in Georgia has been conducting an experimental rehab therapy on patients with paralysis resulting from spinal cord injuries to study how oxygen deprivation–known as hypoxia–triggers molecular changes that “awaken” the nervous system. The therapy involves alternately breathing air with nine percent (low) oxygen and air with 21 percent (normal) oxygen. A patient literally “breathes” his way to recovery. This is believed to be the first study of this kind in the US.

Patients who underwent the therapy for seven days experienced an increase in muscle strength which lasted a month or longer. The trial has continued since 2010 and is still recruiting test subjects in the area for further studies.

PhD Assistant Professor, biomedical engineer, and physical therapist Dr. Randy Trumbower elaborated on the therapy. “And so what we’re hoping is that by intermittently stimulating the spinal cord with this type of breathing intervention, that we’re actually turning up the volume on spared connections,” he said.

The therapy uses acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) to set off molecular changes that awaken or excite the central nervous system. Intermittent hypoxia is often used in sleep apnea studies. (Persons with sleep apnea stop breathing during sleep and experience brief periods of oxygen deprivation.)

A breathing mask connected to an air generator that simulates air from the peak of Mt. McKinley is placed on the patient. Through the breathing mask, the patient alternately breathes the low-oxygen air and normal-oxygen air during a half-hour mild oxygen-deprivation session. The result was stimulation of the nerve cells associated with voluntary leg strength, which caused improved ankle strength that lasted four hours.

One person who can attest to the therapy’s success is Drew Durrence, 27. A dirt bike accident injured his spinal cord eight years ago. Durrence described the moment he first suspected something wasn’t right. “When I tried to get up, I lost feeling and movement from about chest down.”

The therapy and his own determination helped him recover some of the lost sensation. Trumbower explained the results: “We found that individuals that experienced intermittent hypoxia for one day, for 45 minutes of exposure actually increased, on average, 80 percent changes in strength.” Patients who underwent early trials of the therapy regained use of muscles they couldn’t use prior to the therapy.

Durrence told how the therapy improved his quality of life. “If you can get just a little bit more strength where it makes it easier for you to stand up, or easier for you to do something, that’s just another step.” He vows he will continue to challenge himself to accomplish more; to be in control of his injury and not be controlled by his injury.

If you would like to participate in this research, clinical trials are still going forward:

• Motor function restoration: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01272349
• Hand strength restoration: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01272336

For an audio interview with Dr. Trumbower on Emory University’s podcast Sound Science, go here: http://www.whsc.emory.edu/soundscience/archives/trumbower.html

Sources:
wndu.com/mmm/headlines/New_treatment_for_spinal_cord_injuries_132551398.html
ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=28172

Video source:
abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/health/health_watch&id=8405902

Image source:
abclocal.go.com