12 Jun Science going forward – Thoughts make paralysed body parts move
New experimental technology is the first in the world to allow a paralysed man to move his arm. More precisely, electrical implants are inserted in the brain and sensors in his forearm, which respond to signals from his brain, decoded by computer.
Bill Kochevar, paralysed from the neck down for 8 years, now can feed himself again. He underwent a brain surgery to implant sensors in the motor cortex area responsible for hand movement, linked to a computer. Kochevar went through four months of training, so that the computer could recognise the necessary signals from the motor cortex. Then he had 36 electrodes implanted into his arm, that helped restore finger and thumb, wrist, elbow and shoulder movements – all that allowed him to reach and grasp. With further development, it is believed the technology could give a wider range of actions, which could begin to transform the lives of people living with paralysis.
Functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the muscles and nerves has been tried before in patients with paralysis, but it had to be triggered by movement (not thought).
The process is still slow, but scientists at the University of Cleveland, who conduct the research, hope that this will become a common way of treating paralysis.
Source: http://bit.ly/2siM5rw