Pisces stimulation for motor neurone disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Motor neurone disease (MND) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
• Current treatments for MND are limited, necessitating novel therapeutic approaches.
• Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord is an emerging area of research for neurological conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Pisces system for electrical spinal cord stimulation in patients with motor neurone disease.
• To assess the clinical outcomes and disease progression in MND patients undergoing spinal cord stimulation.

Main Methods:

• Five patients diagnosed with motor neurone disease received electrical spinal cord stimulation using the Pisces system.
• Clinical outcomes, including symptomatic improvement and disease progression, were monitored.
• Patients received physiotherapy, with antibiotics only during the initial test phase.

Main Results:

• All five patients experienced dramatic initial improvements following electrical spinal cord stimulation.
• Two patients did not show a halt in disease progression.
• One patient with advanced bulbar symptoms died two months post-implantation despite initial improvement; another was lost to follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Electrical spinal cord stimulation with the Pisces system demonstrates potential for significant symptomatic improvement in motor neurone disease.
• Further research and careful patient selection are warranted to optimize this treatment modality.
• The study suggests that spinal cord stimulation may offer a viable therapeutic option for selected MND patients.