By Kat Procyk
Research led by Pitt scientists and physicians helps to restore motor function for patients who’ve suffered strokes, injury or neural degeneration. Their work was listed among the greatest neuroscience research supported by NINDS.
Research on spinal cord stimulation led by scientists and physicians at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine was spotlighted as one of the most significant projects supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) over its 75‑year history.
NINDS, a core institute within the National Institutes of Health, has driven many of the field’s most groundbreaking advances since 1950. To mark its 75th anniversary, the institute is highlighting landmark work that’s shaped modern neuroscience.
“NINDS‑supported neuroscience has evolved the field as we know it,” said Marco Capogrosso, assistant professor of neurological surgery, School of Medicine. “Being recognized as part of this milestone underscores Pitt’s leadership at the forefront of translational neuroscience.”
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is emerging as a powerful way to restore movement by reactivating weakened or dysfunctional neural circuits. Capogrosso and colleagues first showed that because spinal pathways often remain structurally intact after stroke, targeted SCS can boost residual signals and restore arm and hand movement. In early human trials, stimulation rapidly improved strength, precision and range of motion, with some gains lasting even after the device was removed. Surgeons, including Peter Gerszten, Peter E. Sheptak Professor of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine, helped refine the minimally invasive implantation techniques that make this possible.
The same research team has now extended SCS to neurodegenerative disease. In a Nature Medicine study published in February 2025, Capogrosso, alongside first author Genís Prat-Ortega, assistant professor of neurological surgery, and corresponding author Elvira Pirondini, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, both School of Medicine, demonstrated that stimulating sensory spinal nerves can “reawaken” silent motor neurons in adults with spinal muscular atrophy. Over a month of targeted sessions, all participants showed improved motoneuron function, reduced fatigue and better walking ability—far exceeding gains from exercise or medication alone.
Together, these findings point to a unifying principle: precisely timed spinal stimulation can restore function in circuits weakened by stroke, injury or degeneration. Ongoing trials aim to determine how durable these improvements are and how SCS can be combined with rehabilitation or pharmacologic therapies to maximize recovery.
