Implant developed by researchers at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne helps paraplegics to walk again
Orange County, CA - November 10th 2016 - Paraplegia is the paralysis of the lower limbs. Normally walking is initiated through neural signals that travel from the brain down to the nerves inside the spinal cord, continuing on until reaching the musculature of the legs. If these signals are damaged, they can become incapable of transmitting signals. Damage often caused by injury to the spinal cord or nerves, can leave the signals incapable of transmission from the brain to the rest of the body, thus making leg movement impossible.
A new study from researchers at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland however, is restoring hope to those living with paraplegia that they will someday regain control of their legs. The study, carried out on paralyzed monkeys, used a new set of implants, a sensor on the brain and a nerve stimulator on the spine, to link the broken connection between the two causing the paraplegia.
The brain implant consists of around 100 electrodes and is surgically placed over the motor cortex of the brain in order to pick up the signaling for the muscles in the legs to walk. The device is the size of a dime, yet is able to cultivate the neurological signals and wirelessly transmit them to a computer. The computer then interprets this information, and sends a new message to the implanted stimulator allowing movement.
The nerve stimulator "releases specific amounts of electricity," said Grégoire Courtine, professor of neural engineering at EPFL and lead researcher. "This reproduces the intended movement."
In the past, Courtine’s team has overseen similar research of paralysis in rats, receiving similar results, however these implants are the first enabled to record brain activity and deliver instruction to the spine’s nerves despite damage. The team managing the primates at Bordeaux University said the monkeys regained walking abilities almost immediately once the brain-spine interface was activated. Although a milestone achievement, the team concedes that achieving this magnitude of movement in humans will require more effort.
The objective of this research is to take the assembled data and apply it to humans. The motor cortex of humans is further inset than that of monkeys and our limbs are more complex, but the team is adamant about pursuing a solution.
“We're not going to cure people with this type of technology," Courtine said. "But this type of technology can improve their quality of life."
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Implant developed by researchers at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne helps paraplegics to walk again Orange County, CA – November 10th 2016 – Paraplegia is the paralysis of the lower limbs. Normally walking is initiated through neural signals that travel from the brain down to the nerves inside the spinal cord, continuing on until reaching the […]