A patient who lost the usage of his lower body because of a spinal cord injury in an accident has succeeded in walking again because of a digital device. A digital signal replaced the disconnected nerve signal between the brain and spinal cord.

Researchers on the Technical University of Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) ‘digital bridge’ that may restore nerve signal transmission between the brain and spinal cord through the scientific journal Nature on the twenty fourth (local time). announced.

The digital bridge is built by combining a brain-computer interface (BCI) implanted over the brain cortex and an implant implanted within the spinal cord with a wireless digital communication device. It is a technique that connects the severed nerves between the brain and spinal cord using wireless digital communication and regains control of leg movements.

The research team implanted a BCI device composed of 64 electrodes in two places on the brain cortex that controls the patient’s leg movements, and a sensor composed of multiple electrodes within the dura of the spinal cord.

A BCI device implanted within the brain records brain activity related to leg movement. Signals from the brain are relayed via a wireless headset to a conveyable computer that may slot in a patient’s walker or backpack. A conveyable computer analyzes these signals and transmits them wirelessly to electrodes implanted within the spinal cord.

In other words, when the patient thinks he desires to walk, the electrodes implanted within the brain and spinal cord send and receive signals through the mediation of the pc to maneuver the legs.

Shert Jan Oskam, who participated within the experiment, suffered a spinal cord injury in a motorbike accident in 2011 and was paralyzed from the waist down. He said that because of this device, he was in a position to arise, walk, climb stairs and traverse complex terrain again after 12 years.

Moreover, the patient succeeded in neurological recovery through neurorehabilitation, and was in a position to walk with crutches even when the device was turned off. This provided a clue that the brain-spinal cord digital bridge might be helpful in treating motor defects brought on by neurological disorders.

Up to now, to revive the movement of paraplegic patients, a way of directly applying electrical stimulation to the spinal cord has been used. Nonetheless, this method made it difficult to regulate the leg movements for various terrains.

The research team added, “The digital bridge developed this time might be used stably for greater than a 12 months without special management.”

Reporter Park Chan cpark@aitimes.com