Nature study: Experimental brain-spine interface helps paralyzed man walk
located inside Oksam's spinal column next to his spinal cord, transmits the synthetic nerve signals into the lumbar region of his spinal cord, where the spinal nerves branch off to his legs. From there, the artificial nerve signals travel down his spinal nerves, into the formerly paralyzed muscles, allowing him to stand up, take steps forward, moving his ankles to raise his feet as necessary to clear obstructions.
Several aspects of the research are especially noteworthy. One is that this is not the first experimental treatment that Oksam has volunteered for. He also participated in an earlier experiment, in which electrodes in his legs directly stimulated his leg muscles. In combination with orthotic splints on his lower legs to hold his ankles and keep his feet straight, this earlier treatment did enable him to walk for short distances on a flat surface – but that was all.
Despite lots of therapy and practice, he was unable to to do more than this. Although the team had hoped that it might help to regain more functionality, it didn't happen. Second, with the new system his control and balance are so good that the university team constructed a special separate standalone version of the BSI. Whereas the lab version is partly located in a backpack and lets him walk with crutches, this is a take-home version – it mounts onto a wheeled walking frame, allowing him to use it outside of the laboratory.
Third, and perhaps most encouragingly of all, since he's been using the BSI, he has regained some of the lost function and movement in his legs – which the earlier experiment sadly didn't help. Thepaper show that in the system's early days, turning off the implant left him immobilized – literally unable to take another step.the aid of the prosthesis.
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