Circadian Rhythms "The Inner Clock" w/ Lynne Peeples | Wraparound Spinal Injury Device w/ Dr. Bonati

>> KIMBERLY BERMEL BONATI: WELCOME TO 'AMERICAN MEDICINE TODAY'. I'M KIMBERLY BONATI ALONGSIDE ETHAN YOUKER AND NEUROSURGEON DR. THOMAS NOWAK. WE HAVE AN EXCITING SHOW LINED UP, LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT. SO MISALIGNED CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS DISRUPT SLEEP, REDUCE PRODUCTIVITY, AND RAISE THE RISK OF SERIOUS LIFE-THREATENING AILMENTS. BUT A GROUNDBREAKING NEW BOOK IS HERE TO HELP US RECLAIM OUR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. JOINING US TO DISCUSS IS LYNNEE PEEPLES, SCIENCE JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR OF 'THE INNER CLOCK: LIVING IN SYNC WITH OUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS'. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. >> LYNNE: THRILLED TO BE WITH YOU. >> KIMBERLY: CERTAINLY. SO I BARELY SLEEP, SO THIS SEGMENT MEANS A LOT TO ME. SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS ARE, WHAT THEY DO, AND WHY SCIENCE ISN'T EXACTLY SURE HOW THEY WORK? >> LYNNE: ABSOLUTELY. SO OUR BODIES ARE FILLED WITH TRILLIONS OF TINY CLOCKS, BASICALLY EVERY CELL IN YOUR BODY HAS A CLOCK. AND THESE CLOCKS WORK TOGETHER IN COORDINATION TO GET OUR BODY FUNCTIONING AT THE RIGHT, DOING THE RIGHT THINGS AT THE RIGHT TIME. SO DIGESTING FOOD, PREPPING YOUR BODY FOR SLEEP, FENDING OFF INVADING VIRUSES. SO OUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS ARE ESSENTIALLY THIS WHOLE SYMPHONY OF CLOCKS THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO REALLY JUST OPTIMIZE YOUR BODY. >> ETHAN: KIMBERLY'S SENTIMENT. I ALSO DO NOT SLEEP. I MEAN, I'M LUCKY IF I GET FOUR HOURS OF SLEEP TOTAL AND HALF OF THAT IS SPENT WIDE AWAKE STARING AT THE CEILING, SO JUST CHRONIC INSOMNIAC. SO LET ME ASK YOU THAT. WHY ARE CERTAIN PEOPLE PRONE TO INSOMNIA AND LACK SO MUCH SLEEP? IS THAT A PROBLEM WITH THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS? >> LYNNE: CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS COULD VERY WELL EXPLAIN A GOOD CHUNK OF YOUR TROUBLES. IT'S SO EASY TO GET OUR CLOCKS OUT OF WHACK, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE SPEND OVER 90 PERCENT OF OUR TIME INDOORS. WE'RE NOT GETTING THOSE CUES THAT WE EVOLVED WITH, THE DAY AND NIGHT CUES THAT THE SUN PROVIDES US. SO THAT BRIGHT LIGHT, ESPECIALLY IN THE MORNING AND THROUGHOUT THE DAY, AND DIMMING LIGHTS AND NOT HAVING THOSE BRIGHT LEDS BLASTING IN YOUR FACE AT NIGHT. >> ETHAN: AND WHAT ABOUT SOME OF THESE SOLUTIONS, IF YOU WILL? I'VE READ ABOUT BLUE LIGHT BLOCKING GLASSES, MELATONIN, OF COURSE, WHICH I TRIED AND IT WOULD MAKE ME FALL ASLEEP, BUT WITHIN TWO HOURS I'M AWAKE AGAIN. THEN THERE'S THINGS LIKE LIGHT LAMPS. WHAT ARE SOME OF THESE FOLKSY KIND OF SOLUTIONS, IF YOU WILL, TO HELP PEOPLE FALL ASLEEP AND ARE THEY EFFECTIVE? >> LYNNE: SO THE ANSWER VARIES ACROSS THESE TOOLS. I THINK THERE'S TRUTH AND BENEFIT TO ALL OF THEM IF USED APPROPRIATELY. SO I DO ENLIST SOME BLUE BLOCKING GLASSES AT NIGHT, DEPENDING, LIKE IF I'M WORKING LATE IN FRONT OF MY COMPUTER, I WILL PUT THOSE ON AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, ADJUSTING THE SCREEN TO THE COLOR TEMPERATURE OF THE SCREEN AND THE DIMNESS. AND THE MELATONIN, THE TIME YOU TAKE THAT MELATONIN AND THE DOSE CAN HAVE A HUGE EFFECT ON HOW WELL IT WORKS FOR YOU. SO RATHER THAN TAKING IT RIGHT BEFORE BED, TAKE IT WHEN YOUR BODY IS NATURALLY UPPING ITS PRODUCTION OF MELATONIN, WHICH IS TWO, THREE HOURS BEFORE YOU USUALLY GO TO SLEEP. >> KIMBERLY: I'VE TAKEN IT. IT SEEMS TO WORK. BUT AS ETHAN SAID, ALL OF A SUDDEN, A COUPLE HOURS LATER, YOU JUST KIND OF JUMP UP AND... >> ETHAN: WIDE AWAKE. >> KIMBERLY: "OH NO, "WHY AM I AWAKE? I WANT TO BE SLEEPING", BUT... >> LYNNE: IT VARIES FOR EVERYBODY. YOU KNOW, IT'S A PERSONAL THING, BUT IN GENERAL, YEAH, THAT COULD EXPLAIN IT. >> KIMBERLY: SO YOU CONDUCTED A LOT OF EXHAUSTIVE RESEARCH FOR THIS PARTICULAR BOOK. YOU TALKED TO SCIENTISTS, ASTRONAUTS, ATHLETES. CAN YOU ELABORATE MORE ON THAT? >> LYNNE: TEACHERS, NURSES, THERE'S, YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT ANY SEGMENT OF SOCIETY, ANY POPULATION, AND WE ARE AFFECTED BY OUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS. AND THEN I ALSO DID A LITTLE OF MY OWN RESEARCH. I JUST SENT MYSELF UNDERGROUND FOR 10 NIGHTS IN A BUNKER. >> ETHAN: WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? 'CAUSE WHEN I READ THE PRESS RELEASE AND IT SAID THAT YOU JUST LIKE SLEPT IN A COLD WAR ERA BUNKER, YOU GOTTA TELL US ABOUT THAT. >> LYNNE: I WAS SEEKING A PLACE WHERE I COULD FULLY HIDE FROM ANY 24 HOUR CUES FROM NATURE, RIGHT? SO NO DAYLIGHT, NO CLOCKS, NO INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER HUMANS, WITH THEIR CIRCADIAN CLOCKS INFLUENCING MINE. SO I JUST, I NEEDED TO FULLY CUT MYSELF OFF. SO I FOUND THIS AIRBNB, THIS GUY HAD BOUGHT IT, FORMER NUCLEAR ERA BUNKER, CONVERTED IT TO THIS LUXURIOUS AIRBNB IN ARKANSAS. AND I WENT AND SET UP SHOP THERE FOR 10 NIGHTS AND TRACKED A WHOLE BUNCH OF MY OWN RHYTHMS. >> ETHAN: WHAT WERE THE RESULTS THOUGH? DID YOU GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP OR WERE YOU AFRAID THAT THE RUSSIANS WERE GOING TO BOMB YOU? I MEAN, WHAT HAPPENED? >> LYNNE: MY RHYTHMS GOT OUT OF WHACK, AS PREDICTED. I WORKED WITH SCIENTISTS TO LOOK AT MY DATA. SO I HAD HEART RATE, TEMPERATURE, GLUCOSE, A WHOLE BUNCH OF DATA THAT I WAS MONITORING. AND THOSE RHYTHMS FELL OUT OF SYNC, WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GET JET LAG, VERY SIMILAR. AND MY RHYTHMS ALSO DRIFTED. SO THE DAY IN THE LIFE OF MY BODY, YOU MIGHT SAY, WAS ACTUALLY LONGER THAN 24 HOURS. >> ETHAN: AND THEN YOU TALK ABOUT, I GUESS, AGING CONNECTIONS. WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT... EXPLAIN, PLEASE. >> LYNNE: YEAH, SO MORE AND MORE SCIENCE IS POINTING TO A LINK BETWEEN AGING AND THE CHRONIC DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH AGING, INCLUDING DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER'S WITH OUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM. SO THE RESEARCH IS EARLY, BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY EVIDENCE POINTING TO KEEPING YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM STRONG, HELPING YOU LIVE A LONGER AND HAPPIER HEALTHIER LIFE. >> DR. THOMAS NOWAK: HAVE YOU DONE MUCH ON ADENOSINE AND CAFFEINE AND HOW THAT AFFECTS THE PERSON? I KNOW YOU HAVE TO HAVE ADENOSINE SOMEHOW PRESSURE YOU INTO DRIVING THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM, BUT ADENOSINE ITSELF HAS AN INCREDIBLY SHORT HALF-LIFE. >> LYNNE: RIGHT. THERE'S AN INTERESTING INTERACTION BETWEEN THE CIRCADIAN SYSTEM AND THE SLEEP PRESSURE THAT'S INDUCED BY ADENOSINE. WHEN YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM IS TELLING YOU IT'S TIME FOR BED, THAT SHOULD BE AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME YOUR ADENOSINE IS BUILDING UP, WHICH CAFFEINE CAN, YOU KNOW, CAN MESS WITH. SO IF YOU STILL HAVE CAFFEINE LINGERING IN YOUR BODY... I NOW CUT MYSELF OFF BY NOON BECAUSE THE HALF-LIFE, I THINK IS,WHAT? >> DR. NOWAK: 12 HOURS. QUITE LONG. >> LYNNE: YEAH. WELL, QUITE LONG. I MEAN, IT JUST, AND IF YOU, IF YOU TAKE IN A LOT OF CAFFEINE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME STICKING AROUND LATER, RIGHT, EXACTLY, AS IT BREAKS DOWN. SO, YOU KNOW, WE EVOLVED. THOSE EVOLVED IN COORDINATION. SO WE HOPEFULLY HAVE THOSE THINGS BOTH HELPING US FALL ASLEEP AT NIGHT. >> ETHAN: TOUCH UPON THE LINK BETWEEN CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS AND I GUESS OUR GUT MICROBIOME BECAUSE WE DISCUSS IT ON THE SHOW ALL THE TIME, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE IT COULD BE HELPFUL OR HARMFUL TO OUR SLEEP. >> LYNNE: THE MICROBIOME WE'RE FINDING MORE AND MORE HAS RHYTHM, TOO. THOSE BACTERIA HAVE THEIR RHYTHM, OUR BODIES HAVE THEIR RHYTHM, THOSE RHYTHMS SPEAK TO EACH OTHER, SO IT'S VERY EASY IF WE HAVE A DISRUPTED MICROBIOME THAT COULD INFLUENCE OUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS AND VICE VERSA. IF YOU'VE DISCUSSED IT ON PRIOR SHOWS, WE KNOW THAT THIS MICROBIOME INFLUENCES A HUGE HOST OF OUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. >> KIMBERLY: THANK YOU FOR GIVING YOUR ADVICE AND TRYING TO HELP EVERYONE WATCHING BE ABLE TO SLEEP AND GET IN TOUCH WITH THOSE CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS. THANK YOU SO MUCH, LYNNE PEEPLES, AUTHOR OF 'THE INNER CLOCK: LIVING IN SYNC WITH OUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS". >> LYNNE: MY PLEASURE, THANKS FOR HAVING ME. >> KIMBERLY: WE'LL HAVE MORE AFTER THE BREAK. YOU ARE WATCHING 'AMERICAN MEDICINE TODAY'. >> JENNIFER B: TWO NEUROSURGEONS COULDN'T FIGURE OUT ANYTHING THAT WAS WRONG WITH ME OR WHAT I WOULD NEED SURGERY FOR. DR. BONATI, WITHOUT EVEN SEEING ME KNEW I WAS HURTING, KNEW THEY COULD HELP ME. THE FIRST TIME I CAME IN HERE WAS MONDAY AND TODAY IS THURSDAY. I'VE HAD TWO SURGERIES AND AM DOING FANTASTIC. I'M STILL IN SHOCK THAT I CAN WALK. THAT'S ALL WITHIN FOUR DAYS. >> VISIT ASKBONATI.COM. >> JOHN MUIR: WE CAME IN HERE MONDAY MORNING AND I WAS IN AWFUL PAIN. I WAS WHEELED IN. I COULDN'T EVEN MOVE FIVE FEET WITHOUT THE WHEELCHAIR. (ON SCREEN) >> JOHN: WE WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE INTAKE INTERVIEW, DID THE MRI, X-RAYS. I WAS AWAKE THROUGH THE SURGERY, CAME BACK TO RECOVERY. I WAS THERE FOR 10 MINUTES, AND I GOT UP AND I WALKED. >> KIMBERLY: JOHN'S STORY IS INSPIRATIONAL. AFTER DECADES OF PAIN, HE FOUND THE BONATI SPINE INSTITUTE AND IS NOW LIVING PAIN-FREE. >> JOHN: THE PAIN'S BEEN ABOUT A 35, 40-YEAR JOURNEY. I WAS IN THE MARINE CORPS IN 1987, AND I RUPTURED MY L5 DISC AND I GOT A MICRO-DISCECTOMY. ABOUT SIX HOURS AFTER POST-OP, I THOUGHT I HAD TO GO TO THE BATHROOM, SO I GOT OUT OF THE BED IN THE HOSPITAL AND COLLAPSED ON THE FLOOR IN HORRIBLE PAIN. AND THEY HAD TO PUMP ME WITH MORPHINE AND THREE GUYS CARRIED ME BACK TO BED. I WAS NOT MOVING FOR FIVE DAYS AND THEN SIX WEEKS OF BED REST AT HOME. AND I DIDN'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN, SO I TRIED EVERY SINGLE THING I CAN POSSIBLY DO OTHER THAN SURGERY. I STARTED GETTING SOME THERAPY, GOING TO CHIROPRACTOR MORE OFTEN, STRETCHES. SO IT BOUGHT ME A BIT MORE TIME. AND THEN LAST NOVEMBER, EVERY MUSCLE IN MY LEG WAS CRAMPING. HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE PAINS IN MY GROIN. I THINK I WAS PROBABLY IN TOO MUCH PAIN TO SCREAM. I JUST, I COULDN'T EVEN GET A BREATH. SO WE WENT TO A NEUROSURGEON BACK IN ATLANTA. THEY DID A FULL-BODY MRI AND SAW MULTIPLE DISC HERNIATIONS FROM MY CERVICAL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO MY LUMBAR. THEY STARTED ME ON EPIDURAL STEROID INJECTIONS. TOOK ABOUT A DAY. THE PAIN WOULD GO AWAY AND I'M FINE. AND THAT WOULD LAST ABOUT TWO MONTHS AND THE PAIN WOULD START CREEPING BACK. TAKING OXYCONTIN, WHATEVER THEY COULD GIVE ME. AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE NERVE ABLATION AND ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS. AND I SAID TO ME THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A SOLUTION, IT SOUNDS LIKE A BAND-AID. I STARTED LOOKING AROUND THE INTERNET AND I CAME ACROSS BONATI SEVERAL TIMES AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WITH IT'S COMING UP SO OFTEN THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING TO THIS FOR ME. LIKE THE UNIVERSE WANTS ME TO FIND BONATI. I SENT MY MRI DOWN. DR. BONATI ACTUALLY CALLED ME AND SAID "WELL GIVE ME A CHANCE, CAN I TELL YOU WHAT I THINK?" HEWAS TELLING ME THINGS ABOUT HOW I FELT THAT EVEN I DIDN'T REALIZE TILL HE SAID IT. I THOUGHT "HOLY COW, HE'S RIGHT". AND HE WAS LOOKING AT MY MRIS AND TELLING ME HOW I WAS GETTING THROUGH LIFE, AND I SAID "YOU KNOW WHAT? I TRUST THIS GUY." THAT WAS RIGHT BEFORE 4TH OF JULY. I CAME DOWN THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. IT WAS JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME BECAUSE I WAS UH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE WORD THAT WOULD DESCRIBE HOW BAD I WAS. IMMOBILIZED IN BED. I COULDN'T GET OUT OF THE BED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM FOR 18 HOURS. I GOT A WHEELCHAIR AND IT WAS, UH, IT WAS A HORROR SHOW. THE SCREAMING I HAD TO GET OUT OF BED INTO THIS WHEELCHAIR JUST TO GO TO THE BATHROOM AND THEN BACK INTO THE BED. THE NEXT DAY WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DRIVING DOWN HERE SUNDAY MORNING, AND WE ENDED UP CALLING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT 5 A.M. AND THEY SENT THREE GUYS OVER WITH A SPECIAL CHAIR TO GET ME FROM MY HOUSE DOWN TO MY DRIVEWAY AND INTO THE CAR. THAT'S HOW BAD I WAS. I MEAN, I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR MYSELF. I HAD THE FIRST SURGERY AND IT SHOCKED ME. I WAS WALKING. AND I WALKED OUT OF THE BUILDING AND GOT IN THE CAR AND I WAS SO HAPPY. >> KIMBERLY: THE EXCLUSIVE BONATI SPINE PROCEDURES ARE PERFORMED INCREMENTALLY USING CONSCIOUS IV SEDATION IN A TWILIGHT STATE PATIENTS OR PARTNERS IN THEIR CARE. THIS MEANS THEY ARE AWAKE AND ALERT AND ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR SURGEON WHEN THE SOURCE OF THEIR PAIN IS ALLEVIATED, ALL WHILE THEY ARE STILL ON THE OPERATING TABLE. THE SEVERITY OF JOHN'S CASE REQUIRED THREE PROCEDURES TO ELIMINATE HIS PAIN. >> JOHN: THAT DAY, ON WEDNESDAY I GOT IN AND OUT OF BED WITHOUT TOO MUCH DIFFICULTY, BUT STAYED IN THE CHAIR WEDNESDAY TILL ABOUT NOON. AND I SAID "I THINK I CAN WALK" AND I STOOD UP ON MY OWN. I THINK MY WIFE WAS ACTUALLY GONE OUT WITH MY MOTHER-IN-LAW AND MY SON. THEY HAD GONE OUT FOR THE DAY AND I JUST GOT UP AND WALKED. AND I WALKED DOWN THE HALLWAY AND I THOUGHT "THAT'S THE END OF IT. I'M TO A POINT NOW WHERE I CAN SAY THAT I'M AT LEAST ON MY WAY TO RECOVERY". AND THEN TODAY I WOKE UP, GOT OUT OF BED MYSELF, BY MYSELF, NO ASSISTANCE, NO CANE, NO WHEELCHAIR, GOT DRESSED AND WE CAME IN HERE FOR THE THIRD SURGERY. AND IT'S BEEN ZERO PAIN SINCE THEN. THE PAIN IS GONE. IT'S GONE. ANYBODY I KNOW THAT'S GOT BACK PAIN OR BACK TROUBLES, I'M GONNA TELL THEM LOOK UP THIS WEBSITE. AND IF YOUR DOCTOR LOOKS AT YOU AND YOU'VE GOT A BULGING DISC, GO. I DON'T WANT TO GET EMOTIONAL AGAIN, BUT I CAN'T EXPLAIN ENOUGH HOW THIS HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. >> KIMBERLY: TO SEE MORE STORIES OF RECOVERY JUST LIKE THIS, SEARCH FOR THE BONATI SPINE INSTITUTE ON YOUTUBE, RUMBLE, APPLE'S APP STORE, GOOGLE'S PLAY STORE, ROKU, AND AMAZON'S FIRE TV. >> KIMBERLY: WELCOME BACK TO 'AMERICAN MEDICINE TODAY'. I'M KIMBERLY BONATI ALONGSIDE DR. BONATI, AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A SPINAL CORD WRAP AROUND DEVICE THAT HELPS THOSE THAT HAVE PARALYSIS. SO DR. BONATI, TELL US WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT. >> DR. BONATI: WE ARE MOVING FOR MANY, MANY YEARS TRYING TO SEE HOW CAN WE BYPASS THE LESION CREATED IN THE SPINAL CORD IN PEOPLE WHO HAD ACCIDENTS OR DAMAGE THAT THEY AFFECT THE SPINAL CORD AND BECOME QUADRIPLEGICS OR HAVE SOME DEFICITS. EVERY PROCEDURE THAT WE DEVELOP, EVERY TECHNIQUE THAT CAME AROUND FAIL OR WORK PARTIALLY. THE SITUATION WAS THAT YOU NEED TO PENETRATE THE SPINAL CORD SOMETIMES WITH SOME TYPE OF NEEDLES OR JUST PUT HOLES ON THE SPINAL CORD. BUT IT CREATES MORE DAMAGE AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU NEED TO DO SOME SORT OF A SURGICAL PROCEDURE ON THE BRAIN TO PUT THE ELECTRODES THAT THEY ARE GOING TO SEND THE MESSAGE. SO NOT ONLY THE SURGERIES WERE POOR IN RESULTS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME DANGEROUS. SO THEY CONTINUE WORKING WITH NEW AND NEW IDEAS AND RECENTLY IN CAMBRIDGE THEY START TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NEUROSURGERY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING AND THEN THEY DEVISE A VERY THIN TYPE OF A PRODUCT THAT IS VERY MUCH SIMILAR TO THIS FOIL PAPER THAT WE USE AT HOME TO WRAP OBJECTS AND THINGS. >> KIMBERLY: ALUMINUM FOIL. >> DR. BONATI: AND PUT IN THE REFRIGERATOR. >> KIMBERLY: SURE >> DR. BONATI: THE INFORMATION WITH THE ELECTRODES WAS NOT REALLY VERY SOPHISTICATED, BUT IF THEY PUT THE ELECTRODES IN THAT DEVICE AND THAT DEVICE BECOME BY ITSELF AN ELECTRODE. AND THEY FOLD THAT PRODUCT, THAT DEVICE, AROUND THE SPINAL CORD IN A 360 DEGREES TYPE OF WRAP AROUND THERE. ALL THE INFORMATION THAT GOES FROM THE BRAIN TO THE SPINAL CORD NOW IS BEING CAPTURED THROUGH THAT DEVICE. THE IDEA IS FANTASTIC, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT'S VERY MUCH AN EXPERIMENTATION. >> KIMBERLY: RIGHT >> DR. BONATI: THEY USE SOME OF THE ANIMALS THAT YOU USE FOR EXPERIMENTATION IN THE LABORATORY AND THEY HAVE VERY SURPRISING RESULTS. THEY USE CADAVERS, HUMAN CADAVERS, AND THEN THEY ALLOWED THAT AREA THAT WAS INJURED THAT THEY WOULD PRACTICALLY, THEY CUT THE SPINAL CORD AND THEN THEY PUT THESE THINGS WRAP AROUND, AND THEY GET A STIMULATION OF THE SPINAL CORD ABOVE THE AREA OF THE INJURY WHERE NORMALLY THE BRAIN WILL SEND A MESSAGE. AND THEN THEY FOUND THAT THE WRAPAROUND DEVICE CAN TRANSFER THAT INFORMATION AND THE CADAVER CAN MOVE, MOVE A LEG OR MOVE AN ARM. >> KIMBERLY: THE TYPE OF MOVEMENT THAT THEY'RE GETTING THOUGH, IS IT MORE OF A JERKY MOVEMENT OR IS IT A NORMAL MOTION? >> DR. BONATI: THE MOVEMENT IS SOPHISTICATED BECAUSE THE WRAPAROUND IS GETTING THE MESSAGE OF ALL OVER THE MESSAGE CAN NORMALLY COME FROM THE BRAIN THROUGH THE SPINAL CORD. SO IT'S SOFT AND IS MECHANICALLY DOING THE JOB. NOW, EXACTLY, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE APPLIED IMMEDIATELY OR SOMETHING OF THIS IS JUST ONLY EXPERIMENTATION FOR THE TIME BEING. BUT THE DEVICE IS THERE AND THEY ARE DOING MORE AND MORE WORK ON IT. >> KIMBERLY: WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK. WE'LL HAVE MORE WITH DR. BONATI TALKING ABOUT THE SPINAL CORD WRAPAROUND DEVICE RIGHT AFTER THIS. >> KIM M: I THINK EVERYBODY WAS SHOCKED, LIKE, "REALLY? YOU HAD SURGERY TODAY?" I HAD A DRAIN TUBE. I WAS AT MY DESK DOING PAYROLL FOR 200 EMPLOYEES, WORKED TILL NIGHT, GOT UP, WENT TO BED. >> SHEILA M: ACTUALLY, THE RECOVERY WAS GREAT. I MEAN, I REALLY IMMEDIATELY FELT THE DIFFERENCE. I WAS ABLE TO GO BACK TO WORK WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS. >> ANDREW D: THE PROGRESS AFTER EACH PROCEDURE WAS AMAZINGLY GOOD. THE RECOVERY ALL TOLD HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL. >> MONICA T: WE WENT TO THE BONATI INSTITUTE AND THAT WAS THE DAY, THE TURNING POINT IN MY LIFE. THIS TYPE OF SURGERY IS SO MUCH MORE ADVANCED. >> TERRIE L: THE SURGERIES THAT I HAD, ACTUALLY I RECOVERED VERY EASILY FROM I WOULD SAY. I ACTUALLY WENT TO WORK THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON. >> BOBBY R: THAT AFTERNOON WHEN IT WAS DONE I ACTUALLY FELT SO MUCH BETTER ALREADY. >> JENNIFER B: THE FIRST TIME I CAME IN HERE WAS MONDAY AND TODAY IS THURSDAY. I'VE HAD TWO SURGERIES AND AM DOING FANTASTIC. I'M STILL IN SHOCK THAT I CAN WALK. THAT'S ALL WITHIN FOUR DAYS. >> BONATI SUCCEEDS WHERE OTHERS FAIL. >> KIMBERLY: WELCOME BACK. WE'RE CONTINUING OUR DISCUSSION WITH DR. BONATI AND THIS WRAPAROUND DEVICE FOR SPINAL CORD INJURIES AND HELPING PARALYSIS. >> DR. BONATI: IT'S NOT CLEAR IF THIS ANSWER IS GOING TO GET MOVEMENTS THAT THEY ARE... IN COORDINATION WITH THE MOVEMENTS. THEY MAY NOT BE THE ONES THAT WE WANT, ALTHOUGH REMEMBER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A NORMAL BRAIN SENDING A NORMAL TYPE OF INFORMATION THROUGH THAT BRIDGE IF THE INFORMATION THROUGH THE BRIDGE IS COMING WITH THE INFORMATION FROM THE BRAIN AND IT'S ALL SENT THROUGH A 360 DEGREES PACKAGE, WHEN PAST THE AREA OF THE BRIDGE THE POSSIBILITIES THAT THAT INFORMATION CAN BE TOTALLY NORMAL. SO IF THE BRAIN SAID "MOVE YOUR FINGER" AND SAY, "PUT YOUR THUMB UP", IT'S GOING TO BE THE THUMB UP. HOW MUCH OF THIS ONE IS BEING DONE? WELL, IT'S BEING DONE IN CADAVERS, WHAT REALLY DOESN'T GIVE YOU TOO MUCH. BUT YES, IT'S GIVING YOU THE IDEA THAT IF THE BRAIN SENDS THE INFORMATION TO THE SPINAL CORD AND YOU SEND THAT INFORMATION THROUGH THE BRIDGE, SOMETHING'S GONNA HAPPEN ON THE OTHER SIDE. >> KIMBERLY: RIGHT. >> DR. BONATI: BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW SOFT THAT INFORMATION, SO THEY USE ANIMALS. AND THOSE EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS, THEY ARE NOT ALSO VERY MUCH, THEY DON'T RESPOND TO A HUMAN COMMAND. SO EVEN IF YOU SEND THE MESSAGE, MAYBE THE MESSAGE IS NOT VERY CLEAR YET. THE BEST ANSWER WILL BE TO START TO TRY TO PUT THE DEVICE IN SOMEBODY WHO REALLY HAS PARALYSIS. AND ALREADY THAT'S A SITUATION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK NOW. >> KIMBERLY: WELL IT SOUNDS LIKE AMAZING TECHNOLOGY ON THE HORIZON TO HELP THOSE THAT ARE PARALYZED. JOIN US AGAIN NEXT TIME HERE ON 'AMERICAN MEDICINETODAY'. AND YOU CAN ADD AT US AT ANY TIME TO YOUR FAVORITE CHANNEL STREAMING LINEUP. IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS CONTACT US AT THE NUMBERS BELOW. OR YOU CAN TWEET @DRBONATI USING #AMERICANMEDICINETODAY OR #AMT. WE LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU.