The findings of a clinical study into a new treatment for people living with spinal cord injury have just been published – and the results have been greeted with excitement by the NHSGGC doctor involved in the trial.
Dr Mariel Purcell, Consultant in Spinal Injuries, led the Up-LIFT study at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit in Glasgow, and has hailed its potential as a therapy for spinal cord injury.
She said: “This treatment has been proven to be safe, and of some benefit to chronic patients. We saw a real improvement in quality of life, and when used alongside traditional therapies, there’s real potential for wider benefits, particularly in the acute phase of spinal cord injury.”
The Up-LIFT study, which was published in the journal Nature Medicine, was run by ONWARD Medical and involved medical teams around the world. It looked at a new treatment called ARC-EX Therapy, an external, programmed electrical stimulation that targets the spinal cord non-invasively and is designed to aid in functional recovery after spinal cord injury.
The study at NHSGGC involved five patients, and participants were in the chronic phase of their injury – people who had been living with the injury for some time, and who had not experienced any improvement for a considerable period, in some cases many years.
In this group, even small changes in function can significantly improve quality of life, and these changes are not easily measured with standardised assessment tools.
During the study, patients saw a range of benefits including, in one case, a significant impact on a patient’s ability to play the guitar.
Dr Purcell added: “While the study focused on upper limb and hand function, in some patients we also saw an improvement in blood pressure and temperature control, along with bladder and bowel function.
One patient who experienced her own improvements was Melanie Reid, a writer and journalist who has been living with spinal cord injury for more than 10 years.
She said: “Your hands are so intrinsically taken for granted, but they are vital to so many aspects of someone’s quality of life.
“For me, the study gave me a real boost. My hands were much more useful, and it gave me much more confidence, particularly to use my left hand.”
For Melanie, it was a small thing – something most women see as second nature –that she remembers from the study. “It’s a woman’s right to be able to put her hair up in a scrunchie, and the therapy allowed me to do that.”
She went on: “After many years in my chair, I’d learned just to accept my limits, so it was great just to think ‘Yes, I can do more’.
“The benefits were real – and I’m still feeling them more than two years after the study.
“There are no miracles here – we’re talking about tiny gains – but even something as basic as being able to feed yourself for the first time … wouldn’t that be fantastically profound?”
Dr Purcell is also excited about the potential of the Up-LIFT device beyond the study. She said: “The benefit of the intervention, last delivered two years ago, is ongoing for some of the participants, how much longer the benefit will last is unknown.”
She added: “The study looked at upper limb and hand function in chronic patients, but applied acutely in newly injured patients with standard rehabilitation, non-invasive spinal cord stimulation may have profound benefit. There’s no other treatment like this.”
Susan Groom, Director of Regional Services atNHSGGC said: “NHSGGC, working with our partners in academia and industry, is committed to the development, testing and adoption of novel devices, treatments and technologies, for the benefit of all patients in the NHS, and the Up-LIFT study is a classic example of how our work in research and innovation can have a direct benefit for patients.
“I would like to thank all staff involved in this and all our studies – and all those patients whose willing participation is so important to all our research and development projects.”
The device is expected to be approved for use in the US this year, with approval across Europe anticipated shortly afterwards.
And, for Professor Gregoire Courtine, co-founder of ONWARD Medical, that will just be the start of the story.
During a visit to the National Spinal Injuries Unit last week, he said: “The study has shown that the device is safe and effective, and we have demonstrated the principle. Now we can look at applying stimulation to other functions, such as walking.
“This is not a cure – it’s important to stress that – but we’re at the beginning of a journey that makes recovery from spinal injury a real possibility.”
The Up-LIFT study was one of hundreds of new research studies and trials to take place across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde every year. While the number of studies dropped significantly during COVID, that number is now back to pre-pandemic levels, with a total of 330 commencing during 2023.
To find out more about Research and Innovation at NHSGGC, go to our website: Research and Innovation – NHSGGC
