The ability to walk has been restored following a spinal cord injury, using one’s own brain power, according to research published in the open access Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation. The preliminary proof-of-concept study shows that it is possible to use direct brain control to get a person’s legs to walk again.
This is the first time that a person with complete paralysis in both legs (paraplegia) due to spinal cord injury was able to walk without relying on manually controlled robotic limbs, as with previous walking aid devices.
The participant, who had been paralyzed for five years, walked along a 3.66m long course using an electroencephalogram (EEG) based system. The system takes electrical signals from the participant’s brain, which then travel down to electrodes placed around his knees to create movement.
Dr. An Do, one of the lead researchers involved in the study, from University of California, Irvine, USA, says: “Even after years of paralysis the brain can still generate robust brain waves that can be harnessed to enable basic walking. We showed that you can restore intuitive, brain-controlled walking after a complete spinal cord injury. This noninvasive system for leg muscle stimulation is a promising method and is an advance of our current brain-controlled systems that use virtual reality or a robotic exoskeleton.”
Mental training was initially needed to reactivate the brain’s walking ability. Seated and wearing an EEG cap to read his brainwaves, the participant trained to control an avatar in a virtual reality environment. He also required physical training to recondition and strengthen his leg muscles.
The participant later practiced walking while suspended 5cm above ground, so he could freely move his legs without having to support himself. On his 20th visit, he translated these skills to walk on the ground and wore a body-weight support system for aid and to prevent falls. Over the 19 week testing period, he gained more control and performed more tests per visit.
This proof-of-concept study involved a single patient so further studies are needed to establish whether these results are true for a larger population of individuals with paraplegia.
Dr. Zoran Nenadic, the senior lead researcher of the study, from University of California, Irvine, USA, says: “Once we’ve confirmed the usability of this noninvasive system, we can look into invasive means, such as brain implants. We hope that an implant could achieve an even greater level of prosthesis control because brain waves are recorded with higher quality. In addition, such an implant could deliver sensation back to the brain, enabling the user to feel their legs.”
Read more: Man walks again after years of paralysis
The Latest on: Direct brain control
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Direct brain control” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Direct brain control
- Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip company looking for next human volunteer after first patient encounters problemon May 18, 2024 at 7:45 am
ELON Musk has said his brain chip lab Neuralink is looking for a second human participant. The tech mogul took to social media to share the news just days after his company revealed the first ever ...
- With Brain Tumor Awareness Month under way, a Parkland High School grad is facing off against a frightening foeon May 17, 2024 at 6:52 pm
Seana Isaac, a young woman with a keen mind, a dancer’s grace and a well-nourished faith, had no reason to expect her path in life would turn as abruptly and hauntingly as it did eight ...
- Brain scans of Philly jazz musicians reveal secrets to reaching creative flowon May 17, 2024 at 10:04 am
The Drexel experiment pitted two conflicting theories of flow against each other to see which better reflects what happens in people’s brains when they generate ideas. One theory proposes that flow is ...
- Can brain transplants preserve artistic legacies?on May 17, 2024 at 2:59 am
Transferring someone’s consciousness may not be possible, and it raises ethical questions about identity, autonomy and the sanctity of life ...
- Gene Linked to Learning Difficulties Has Direct Impact on Learning and Memoryon May 14, 2024 at 3:25 pm
A gene previously associated with intellectual disability has been discovered to control learning and memory in mice. The gene, called KDM5B has previously been linked to some intellectual disability ...
- What You Need To Know About Brain-Computer Interfaceson May 10, 2024 at 3:15 am
In my opinion, the least invasive technology will win out in the end. Similar to how the hybrid approach is winning with electric vehicles right now.
- Elon Musk's Neuralink brain chip partially detaches in first human patienton May 10, 2024 at 12:01 am
Arbaugh, who's been a quadriplegic since 2016, had the chip implanted into the part of his brain that controls the ability to move.
- Elon Musk’s Neuralink chip suffers unexpected setback in first in-human brain implanton May 9, 2024 at 2:50 pm
Neuralink’s brain-computer interface, known as a BCI, was implanted into 29-year-old patient Noland Arbaugh’s brain back in January.
- Elon Musk’s Neuralink Had a Brain Implant Setback. It May Come Down to Designon May 9, 2024 at 1:10 pm
Neuralink experienced a mechanical issue with its first human brain-computer interface implant. Its novel design may make it more prone to failure.
- Brain-computer interface translates ALS patient's brain activity into spoken wordson May 8, 2024 at 10:22 pm
Researchers successfully used a brain-computer interface to synthesize speech directly from brain activity in an ALS patient, achieving 80% word recognition accuracy by listeners, showcasing the ...
via Bing News