Paralysed people could walk again instantly after scientists prove brain implant works in primates

The scientists are getting close. There are primates that were temporarily paralyzed one one leg, and could walk instantly after the implant of the spine brain interface that bypasses a break in the spinal cord.

My question is when and how much? There is untold suffering and I would hope this moves quickly.

Paralyzed people could walk again instantly after scientists developed a brain implant which turns thought into electrical signals in the spine so that lost feeling can be restored after injury.

Currently people who break their backs or suffer a spinal trauma are unable to stand or move even though their legs still work, because the signal which connects their brains to their muscles is disconnected.

But an international team of scientists have shown it is possible to bypass the injury and reconnect the brain signals to electrodes at an undamaged part of the spine.

Two monkeys who were temporarily paralyzed in one leg were able to walk again instantly using the technique, which could be available for humans within a decade.

"For the first time, I can imagine a completely paralyzed patient able to move their legs through this brain-spine interface, said neurosurgeon Jocelyne Bloch of the Lausanne University Hospital.


Neuroscientist Dr Erwan Bezard of Bordeaux University who oversaw the experiments added: "The primates were able to walk immediately once the brain-spine interface was activated. No physiotherapy or training was necessary.”

Humans are able to move because electrical signals originating in the brain's motor cortex travel down to the lumbar region in the lower spinal cord, where they activate motor neurons that coordinate the movement of muscles responsible for extending and flexing the leg.

But injury to the upper spine can cut off communication between the brain and lower spinal cord.

To create a device which mimicked the natural communication of the brain and muscles, scientists needed to decode signals from the motor cortex and turn them into electronic signals which could fire electrodes and stimulate nerves in the spine.

www.telegraph.co.uk...

There was a program a few years ago on UK TV where they basically could stimulate our backup systems and they had someone who in the US had lost all lower function due to an accident and they could provide him with limited ability to move his limbs. So i'd imagine they're on V3.6 of the same idea by now.

The stuff they did was rather invasive at the time and quite risky but with a press of a button he could suddenly wiggle his toes etc for the first time in years.

Amazing. Thanks for posting.

Where are they finding all of these paralyzed primates? I mean the research and testing is outstanding progress its just where the test subjects come from has me curious.

originally posted by: Brotherman
Where are they finding all of these paralyzed primates? I mean the research and testing is outstanding progress its just where the test subjects come from has me curious.

Maybe they fell out of the tree.

a reply to: Greggers

Amazing. Thanks for posting.

My pleasure, I had a friend who was wheelchair bound, it is not pretty. I hope for all the people who have these injuries/problems that this works, and somehow it will be affordable enough to get people back on their feet.

a reply to: seasonal

On my phone now but wanted to ask.

Is this an electronic device that uses algorithms to convert electric impulses from the brain into automated signals that create movement in the body?

Talk about hacking your mind and body.

This reminds me of V.S. Ramachandran's TED Talks about phantom limb syndrome.

This is really incredible. I hear all often that there is a possibility that people alive right now could live long past 100 years due to medical technology breakthroughs. I usually balk at that, but lately am starting to be more hopeful.

a reply to: sputniksteve

Me too, if someone is wheel chair bound, it leads to all sorts of very expensive problems.

Lets hope this is a viable treatment for the injured.

a reply to: seasonal


Nice one, loving this kind of technology.
As I´ve been working as a personal carer for disabled humans for 15 odd years, this kind of technological progress warms my heart. Thanks for sharing.

Much love!

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: sputniksteve

Me too, if someone is wheel chair bound, it leads to all sorts of very expensive problems.

Lets hope this is a viable treatment for the injured.

What I am mostly afraid of is that this won't be available to the average person for far longer than they are able to sustain the natural degradation by Father time and Mother nature. Not in an only available to select elite way, but in a practical ridiculously expensive way. Oh well I guess, I am not even certain I want to live that long right now anyway. I am only entering the lower spectrum of middle aged now but I am already coming to terms with my mortality.

Frankly I didn't expect to make it to 30 anyway so I already feel like I cheated death.

a reply to: Kryptical

Assuming this is successful, there is going to be a huge need for physical therapy.

a reply to: sputniksteve

Getting old isn't for the faint of heart.

I hope this tech will turn into a head gear maybe a hat, and a belt or sort of a vest that the injured person would wear.
And it would just work.

There was a thread about the F22 that recognized test radar and "it" ignored it on it's own. It actually analyzed the radar "image" and saw the flaws and know it wasn't real and the pilot never even had to bother thinking about it. There is amazing tech, we need to put it to good use.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

That is uplifting no pun intended.

This is so crazy if it actually works. It's a life changing breakthrough that I hope is legitimate and helps people walk again. The cost will probably be insane though. Posting just to bump this thread