Researchers say a new implant in individuals with spinal cord injuries can help restore blood pressure levels.
The University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine is involved in the research with two other universities, leading to a rare double publication in the journals Nature and Nature Medicine.
The research describes the development of a targeted therapy to address blood pressure regulation in 14 participants across four clinical studies conducted in Canada, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
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Aaron Phillips, an associate dean with the Calgary medical school, says the brain loses the ability to regulate blood pressure with spinal cord injuries, leading to passing out and reduced energy.
High blood pressure can also lead to a stroke.
Phillips says the implant, similar to a cardiac pacemaker, delivers electrical stimulation and a regulation of blood pressure.
Government approval has been given to initiate a trial of the therapy in about 20 neurorehabilitation and neurosurgical research centres across Canada, Europe and the United States.
— More to come…
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