Paralyzed Man Walks Using Brain Power
A paraplegic man has been able to walk again using the power of his brain alone. The patient, who had been paralyzed for five years following a spinal cord injury, is the first with such injuries ever to walk without the need for prosthetic limbs or walking aids. Researchers believe that this is a vital first step in demonstrating that direct brain control can reverse the effects of complete paralysis and restore function into a person’s limbs.
Using an electroencephalogram (EEG)—a non-invasive test which detects electrical activity in the brain—researchers at the University of California, Irvine were able to monitor signals as they passed to electrodes placed on the patient’s knees. For 19 weeks, he underwent training sessions while suspended 5cm above the ground in order to enable free motion of the legs, before walking a 3.66m course on terra firma.
“Even after years of paralysis the brain can still generate robust brain waves that can be harnessed to enable basic walking,” explained Dr. An Do, one of the study’s lead researchers. “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.”
In reintroducing the concept of walking to the brain, virtual reality mental training was employed, whereby the patient was able to control the movements of an avatar. Physical training was also required in order to strengthen and recondition his leg muscles.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/23/paralyzed-man-walks-using-brain-power.html
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if we could pour money into endeavors like this instead of senseless wars 