{"id":3513,"date":"2026-05-08T15:42:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T15:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?p=3513"},"modified":"2026-05-08T15:42:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T15:42:41","slug":"reconnecting-body-and-brain-europes-breakthrough-in-reversing-paralysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/3513\/reconnecting-body-and-brain-europes-breakthrough-in-reversing-paralysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Reconnecting body and brain: Europe\u2019s breakthrough in reversing paralysis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once considered impossible, restoring movement after paralysis is becoming a reality thanks to EU-funded researchers who have developed a device that reconnects the brain to the body.<\/p>\n

By Alison Jones<\/p>\n

Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains one of the most devastating neurological conditions, severing communication between the brain and the body and leaving millions worldwide with permanent paralysis.<\/p>\n

Despite decades of research, restoring movement after spinal cord injury has remained one of neuroscience\u2019s most intractable problems.<\/p>\n

An EU-funded initiative supported by the European Innovation Council offers a new route: a fully implantable brain\u2013spine interface that reconnects mind and body, offering fresh hope against paralysis.<\/p>\n

\u201cTreating patients with paralysis remains one of the greatest challenges of humanity,\u201d said Professor Gr\u00e9goire Courtine, the neuroscientist at the \u00c9cole Polytechnique F\u00e9d\u00e9rale de Lausanne, Switzerland, who led the breakthrough research.<\/p>\n

He said researchers have tried for decades \u2013 and failed \u2013 to regrow neurons and fibres with biological approaches.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have completely changed the approach. Instead of trying to repair the actual injury, we are focusing on what is intact below the injury, but disconnected from the brain,\u201d added Courtine, who has pioneered new ways to restore movement after paralysis using spinal stimulation and neurotechnology.<\/p>\n

A digital bridge across the injury<\/strong><\/p>\n

The EU-funded ReverseParalysis project, built around research led by Courtine, has developed a new generation of brain\u2013spine interfaces designed to restore both lower- and upper-limb function in people living with SCI.<\/p>\n

Rather than relying on damaged nerve pathways, the system creates a \u201cdigital bridge\u201d that links brain and spinal signals directly.\u00a0By combining advances in neuroscience, bioengineering and AI from teams in the Netherlands, Switzerland and France,\u00a0the technology bypasses the site of injury, allowing nerve communication to resume.<\/p>\n

After SCI, movement signals from the brain can no longer reach the muscles.\u00a0In this approach,\u00a0a small implant reads signals from the brain\u2019s motor cortex, translates them into commands, and relays them to a spinal implant positioned below the injury.<\/p>\n

This delivers precise electrical stimulation to the nerves controlling muscles, so that thinking \u201cwalk\u201d triggers the legs to move.<\/p>\n

Until recently, most technologies focused on helping people adapt to paralysis \u2013 wheelchairs, walkers or exoskeletons \u2013 rather than restoring movement itself.<\/p>\n

From breakthrough to first steps<\/strong><\/p>\n

Under the care of neurosurgeon Dr Jocelyne Bloch at Lausanne University Hospital, the first patient to receive the prototype implant was David Mzee, a sports education student paralysed in a gymnastics accident.<\/p>\n

In the run-up to surgery, he was competing at the Wheelchair Rugby World Cup. Courtine attended one of his matches with his newborn daughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cDavid looked her straight in the eye and said, \u2018I will walk before you\u2019,\u201d said Courtine. \u201cEight months later, on a beautiful day at Lake Geneva, he did exactly that. He made the first steps ever in the history of paralysis patients. It was a very, very special moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not only did Mzee learn to stand and walk with support, he also went on to qualify as a sports teacher and now works at a vocational school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still dependent on a wheelchair, but with a spinal cord injury at the neck level, every small improvement makes a big difference. Each bit of regained function really counts,\u201d Mzee said.<\/p>\n

Building on this breakthrough, the three-year ReverseParalysis project, completed in 2025, achieved results once considered out of reach: two people with complete spinal cord injuries regained the ability to stand and walk, while two others recovered movement in their arms and hands, allowing them to perform everyday tasks again.<\/p>\n

Dr Vincent Delattre, co-founder of ONWARD Medical, a neurotechnology company based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, which coordinated the ReverseParalysis project, is now working to turn these laboratory results into a product for clinical use.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of our participants was able to eat something by himself for the first time in years,\u201d he said. \u201cHe picked up a sausage and took a bite. When you see the smile on that person\u2019s face, that is enough to drive everything we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Relearning movement<\/strong><\/p>\n

For people living with SCI, even small gains in mobility can transform daily life, reducing dependence on carers and restoring a sense of autonomy.<\/p>\n

Yet SCI is highly complex: injuries vary in location and severity, making it difficult to decode brain signals accurately and translate them into smooth, natural movement.\u00a0Each success also revealed how much there is still to understand about relearning lost skills.<\/p>\n

To tackle this, the ReverseParalysis team integrated machine learning algorithms that adapt to each individual user. These systems continuously refine how brain signals are interpreted, improving performance over time. Advances in electrode design have also enabled precise targeting of neural pathways within the spinal cord.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not a cure; it is a first step in a recovery process,\u201d said Delattre. \u201cWith intensive training, patients can improve and may even regain some function without stimulation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Expanding the horizon<\/strong><\/p>\n

The team is now applying its expertise to other challenges linked to paralysis. One focus is stabilising blood pressure, a common but often overlooked complication of SCI that can cause dizziness and fatigue, and reduce quality of life.<\/p>\n

Using targeted spinal stimulation, the researchers aim to help patients sit upright for longer, take part in therapy and carry out daily activities more safely.<\/p>\n

The technology may also benefit stroke survivors. While a stroke does not damage the spinal cord, it disrupts the brain\u2019s ability to control movement. The goal is to strengthen and stabilise the remaining signals to restore function.<\/p>\n

The next challenge for ONWARD Medical is to turn specialised laboratory systems into practical, self-contained devices that can be widely used in clinical settings.\u00a0This step \u2013 making the technology accessible to more patients \u2013 may still be 5 to 10 years away.<\/p>\n

As Delattre puts it, the boundaries of recovery after SCI are shifting. \u201cWe are pushing beyond the limits of what was previously thought possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article was originally published\u202fin\u00a0<\/em>Horizon<\/em><\/a>\u00a0the EU Research and Innovation Magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n

Research in this article was funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC). <\/em><\/p>\n

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