Source: Big Data Digest (ID: BigDataDigest)
Author: Mickey
Five years ago, Michel Roccati was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident. Since the spinal cord was completely severed, he never felt anything after his legs.
But recently, he was able to walk again. Through one operation, the researcher attached an electronic chip implant to his spine, replacing the spinal cord in sending signals to the leg muscles.
Nerves in the spinal cord send signals from the brain to the legs, but when nerves are damaged by injury, they can lead to paralysis. For patients like Michel, because the spinal cord is completely severed, his legs are completely unable to receive signals. By implanting electrodes, signals can be sent directly to his legs, enabling him to walk.
The technique, developed by a team of researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), is also the first time a person with a completely severed spinal cord has relied on technology to walk freely again. The same technique also improved the life of another paralyzed patient, allowing him to become a father and relearn walking with his own daughter.
The study has now been published in the latest journal Nature Medicine.
In the paper, the researchers say the study establishes a computational framework that informs the optimal placement of electrodes and guides their neurosurgical localization. The research group also developed software that supports the rapid configuration of activity-specific stimulus procedures that reproduce the natural activation of motor neurons behind each activity.
As part of an ongoing clinical trial, the researchers tested these neurotechnology in three patients with full motor perception paralysis. Within a day, activity-specific stimulation enabled the three people to stand, walk, ride a bike, swim, and control torso movements, opening up a viable path to support the daily activities of EES in patients with SCI.
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The researchers stress that this technology is not yet completely curable for spinal injuries, and because the technology involves complex systems, it cannot yet be used on a large scale in daily life, but it should still be seen as an important step in improving the quality of life of patients.
For patients like Michelle, as he himself puts it, the technology "is a gift to me."
The study was supported by Dr Ram Hariharan, a consultant at Sheffield North General Hospital, "They did something that hadn't been done before. "I haven't heard of any studies where they implant (implanted in patients with a completely severed spinal cord) and demonstrate muscle movement and improved balance, enough to stand and walk."
But he added that more clinical trials are needed for the technology.
"We need more [patients] to prove it safe, and it's significantly improving their lives." Only then can it be pushed forward. ”
Paralysis cannot be completely cured, but it can greatly improve the quality of life
So far, through this technology program, nine people have received the implanted electrode solution and restored the ability to walk.
David M'zee was one of the first patients to receive the implant. He had been paralyzed for 12 years before getting treatment and, like Michel, was able to walk with a walker after opening the implanted electrodes. What's even more surprising is that after David's health improved, he and his partner Jenny gave birth to a baby girl.
His daughter Zoe is now a year old. She can currently race with her dad in her own walker.
"It's interesting. It was the first time I'd walked with her – she and her baby walker, me and my walker. ”
Having a family gives David a lot of joy. The implants helped him in subtle but important ways.
Professor Grégoire Courtine, who leads the technology development team at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédération fédération (EPFL) in Lausanne, said there was still a long way to go before the technology was routinely used to help paralyzed people walk.
"This is not a treatment for spinal cord injury. But it is a critical step in improving people's quality of life. It will give them the ability to stand, which is a significant improvement. ”
Cure requires spinal cord regeneration, possibly using stem cell therapy, which is still in the early stages of research. Professor Courtine believes that once ready, this implantation technique can be used in combination with nerve regeneration therapy.
Brain-computer assisted paralysis patients, only by the mind, manipulate the machine to move, take objects to become a reality
This is not the first technology from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) to help paralyzed patients. Last December, a team of scientists from the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and the University of Texas at Austin (UT) developed a reinforcement learning system that can control robots with the help of electrical signals from the human brain alone — without any voice control or touch functions, users can simply "think about it" and manipulate robots to complete tasks such as moving and picking up objects.
According to the paper, this brain-computer interface-based research, which is currently mainly aimed at paralyzed patients, can make robots more accurate and fast to assist paralyzed patients in their normal lives to improve their physical flexibility.
The research paper was published in the Nature sub-journal Communications Biology under the title "Customizing Skills for Assistive Robotic Manipulators, An Inverse Reinforcement Learning Approach with Error-Related Potentials."
Related: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60258620
This article is reprinted with permission from Big Data Digest (ID: BigDataDigest), the original title is "The World's First Case!" By implanting electrodes, signals are sent to the legs to allow the paralyzed person to walk, swim, and ride again. If you need to reprint it for a second time, please contact the original author