Emerging Translational Neurotechnologies

Highlights from the 2013 Fourth Annual Aspen Brain Forum

Neuroscience research has received a lot of attention recently, particularly with President Barack Obama’s announcement of the US Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. Fittingly, the topic for the 2013 Fourth Annual Aspen Brain Forum was “Accelerating Translational Neurotechnology.” Held in September in beautiful Aspen, CO, the conference brought together approximately 200 industry and academic scientists from around the globe to discuss emerging developments in translational neuroscience. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the conference, and was awed by the applications of basic science to clinical settings to improve quality of life. From bionic skeletons and “electrochemical prosthetics” to restore movement in paralyzed patients, to the use of deep brain stimulation to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and depression, to retinal prosthetics, the 3 day conference was an eye-opening and inspiring look at the practical applications of basic research.

The conference kicked off with a memorable public lecture titled “Bionic Skeletons and Beyond: Emerging Technologies for Spinal Cord Injury.” It featured Grégoire Courtine, an associate professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Nathan Harding, the CEO and co-founder of Ekso Bionics, and Amanda Boxtel, a paraplegic patient who has benefited from the technology developed by Ekso Bionics. Courtine discussed his ongoing work to develop what he termed an “electrochemical prosthetic.” Using a rat model of spinal cord injury where the spinal column was cut but not fully severed - mimicking the condition of a significant proportion of human spinal cord patients - Courtine and his team are developing a device that delivers growth factors and electrical stimuli to bypass the damaged region and promote regeneration and regrowth. Once the device was implanted, the rats were outfitted with vests on a robotic set-up that held them stand upright, with all of their weight bearing down on their (paralyzed) hind limbs. Through daily training sessions, these rats gradually were able to regain the use of their hind limbs, as well as navigate over obstacles such as steps, in pursuit of a food reward.

Next, Nathan Harding discussed the development of an exoskeleton which is currently being used in rehabilitation centers for patients who, for various reasons, have lost the ability to walk. The suit assists individuals in standing and walking by detecting shifts in weight. The highlight of the talk was at the end, when Amanda Boxtel, a woman who became paralyzed following a ski accident, strapped on one of these suits and slowly walked around the conference room.

What could be very interesting for the future, is if doctors could pair the electrochemical prosthetic developed by Courtine’s group with an exoskeleton suit such as the one developed by Ekso Bionics to treat and potentially heal patients with spinal cord injuries. The prosthetic would stimulate and promote nerve regeneration, while the exoskeleton would help patients relearn how to walk and maintain muscle tone, much like the robotic device devised by Courtine’s team.

As a young graduate student, the Aspen Brain Forum was an incredible opportunity to learn about cutting edge neurotechnologies from the very people developing them. The clinical applications were especially interesting as a basic scientist, because it gave me a whole new appreciation for the importance of studying and understanding the nervous system. There were treatments such as deep brain stimulation which I had not even been aware of before, and are gaining greater attention (i.e. Science recently published a News Focus article discussing the application of deep brain stimulation in treating depression. See references for citation). Overall, I’m excited to see what new developments and clinical treatments will come out of neuroscience research in the coming years, and hopeful that one way my own work in basic science will one day see some clinical application.

References and Further Reading:

• Gregoire Courtntine, 2013 June, The Paralyzed Rat That Walked [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/gregoire_courtine_the_paralyzed_rat_that_walked.html
• van den Brand and Heutschi et. al. (2012), Restoring voluntary control of locomotion after paralyzing spinal cord injury. Science, 336: 1182-1185.
• Underwood (2013), Short-circuiting depression, Science, 342: 548-551.