Reversing the effects of spinal cord injury

International clinical trials to begin on the benefits of neuro stimulation for regulating blood pressure

Dr. Richi Gill, MD (BSc ‘04), is treating patients again, able to enjoy time with his family and get a good night’s sleep, thanks to a new medical discovery by CSM researchers.

Three years ago, Gill broke his neck in a boogie board accident while on vacation with his young family. “What many people don’t realize is that a spinal cord injury prevents some systems within the body from regulating automatically,” says Gill. “My blood pressure would drop drastically, leaving me fatigued, dizzy, and unable to focus. The condition can be life threatening, requiring medication for life.”

What many people don’t realize is that a spinal cord injury prevents some systems within the body from regulating automatically.

But new research from Drs. Aaron Phillips, PhD, and Grégoire Courtine, PhD, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), has been life-changing for Gill and could be for others living with spinal cord injury (SCI). Drs. Phillips and Courtine co-led an international study that proves spinal cord stimulators can bridge the body’s autonomous regulation system, controlling blood pressure without medication.

“The spinal cord acts as a communication line allowing the brain to send signals to tell the body such as when and how to move, as well as how to control vital functions, including blood pressure,” says Phillips. “This communication line is broken after a spinal cord injury. We created the first platform to understand the mechanisms underlying blood pressure instability after spinal cord injury, which allowed us to develop a new cutting-edge solution.”

That solution was developed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers and engineers from the Libin Cardiovascular Institute, the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, all part of the UCalgary RESTORE Network.

Dr. Richi Gill, MD

RESTORE – which stands for REsearching STrategies fOr Rehabilitation – was created to enhance the recovery and lives of patients living with SCI, stroke, and other movement impairments by evaluating and discovering new treatments. RESTORE is supported by a generous gift from the estate of Edith Rodie in partnership with the Calgary Health Foundation.

We created the first platform to understand the mechanisms underlying blood pressure instability after spinal cord injury, which allowed us to develop a new cutting-edge solution.

In the study, targeted electrical stimulation of the spinal cord was used to stabilize blood flow throughout the body, allowing vital organs to maintain an appropriate supply of blood. “People feel more alert, are able to be upright and in their wheelchair without losing consciousness, and over the long term we think this may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke,” says Dr. Sean Dukelow, MD, PhD, clinician scientist and co-author on the study. Dr. Dukelow leads the RESTORE Network.

Gill was the first patient in Calgary to participate in this research. Next is a series of clinical trials to test the device further and bring it to the community, planned for Calgary and Switzerland and expected to begin later this year.

Based on their findings, Dr. Phillips and the team will work with industry partners to develop a neuro-stimulation system dedicated to the management of blood pressure in people with SCI.

“It’s exciting to see the science help push things forward,” says Gill. “I’m excited that Calgary will be one of the sites for a clinical trial. Research made a positive effect on my life and I’m glad others will benefit, too.”

Gill continues to work as part of the Calgary Adult Bariatric Surgery Clinic and is now the director of the Alberta Obesity Centre.