Completely Paralyzed Man Walks with Help of a Brain Computer Interface, Muscle Stimul
 

Completely Paralyzed Man Walks with Help of a Brain Computer Interface, Muscle Stimulators
http://www.medgadget.com/wp-content/...015/09/UCI.jpgIn California, a paralyzed man took a small step that will be great for mankind.*In a world’s first, researchers at the University of California, Irvine are reporting that a completely paralyzed man was able to walk thanks to a brain-computer interface linked to electrical muscle stimulators placed over the leg muscles. The tech**logy effectively bypasses the injured spinal cord and does so without any invasive procedures, relying on traditional electroencephalography (EEG) and commonly used stick-on electrodes.

The man has been*paralyzed for five years due to a complete spinal cord transection, but was still able to generate the signature brainwaves that were used to trigger the muscle stimulators. This required quite a bit of mental training and special rehabilitation, but with assistance from a sling and a stroller helping to bear his weight, the man walked twelve feet (~4 meters) down a straight line.

This is certainly an amazing achievement that brings real hope to people with spinal cord injuries. Plus, considering this is only the first proof-of-concept trial of the tech**logy, there’s potential for it to be considerably more effective than what was accomplished so far.

Here’s video of the paralyzed man taking first historic steps:



Study in Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation: The feasibility of a brain-computer interface functional electrical stimulation system for the restoration of overground walking after paraplegia…

Via:*University of California, Irvine…

The post Completely Paralyzed Man Walks with Help of a Brain Computer Interface, Muscle Stimulators appeared first on Medgadget.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Medgadget?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Medgadget?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Medg...Bc:gIN9vFwOqvQ
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Medgadget/~4/Ka5FTS4oIWU