About a Swiss patient (46): Scientists test implants to activate paralyzed arms

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A Swiss patient is expected to regain control of his paralyzed arms thanks to a brain implant. For the first time, scientists from Lausanne are testing the use of a brain implant for the upper limbs in combination with a spinal implant.

The same technology allowed a paraplegic to control his legs with his mind, according to a report published in May in the scientific journal Nature, the Dutch company Onward said on Wednesday.

Results are not yet available

For the experiment that has now started, doctors inserted the implants in August into a Swiss man (46) who can no longer move his arms after a fall. So far everything has been going satisfactorily, treating physician Jocelyne Bloch of the Chuv University Hospital in Lausanne told the AFP news agency.

The patient is therefore in the training phase. Results of the study, in which two more patients will participate, are not expected for some time.

The 46-year-old had to undergo surgery twice last month. During the first operation, the brain implant, with a diameter of several centimeters, was placed in the skull above the brain. During the second operation, electrodes were placed in the spinal cord and connected to a small box that was implanted in the abdomen.

Control by thought

The implants in the spinal cord and the brain communicate with each other via a kind of ‘digital bridge’. A spinal cord injury can disrupt communication between the brain and the area of ​​the spinal cord that controls walking, resulting in paralysis. The so-called Brain-Spine Interface (BSI) restores this communication.

The skull implants use electrodes to measure brain activity. Based on this data, artificial intelligence calculates the desired movement and translates it into stimulation commands, which are then transmitted wirelessly to the electrode array in the spinal cord. The electrodes stimulate so-called motor neurons and thus specifically activate the muscles.

The team from Lausanne had already developed the device in the spinal cord about five years ago and tested it in several patients. Previously, the command to walk had to be entered via a tablet. According to the study authors, controlling with thoughts makes movements smoother and more natural. (SDA)

Source:Blick