New technology helps the paralyzed man to eat and drink by himself

A man who was paralyzed below the shoulders, was able to restore the partial work of his hands after the researchers tested on him the innovative technology that connected his brain with muscles.

Complete paralysis

The 56-year-old Bill Kohwar was able to re-own himself, after scientists used a system capable of decoding brain signals and transferring them to sensors in his hand. The man suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of a bicycle accident 8 years ago.

This is the first time a person with complete paralysis was able to pick up objects using his own brain powers, say researchers at Case Western Reserve University who developed the technology.

The lead author of the work, Bol Aghiboya, Ph.D., says that although the research is still at an early stage and the technology has been tested on only one man, this development can change the lives of people living with paralysis.

Neuroprosthetics

Scientists used the technology of neuroprosthetics to restore motor functions in men. This technology is not able to heal spinal injuries. Instead, it uses electrical activity in the brain to cause movement of the body. Impulses are transmitted to the implanted sensors in the hand.

The man underwent surgery on the brain, during which he was implanted with sensors in those areas that are responsible for the movement of the hands. Then the scientists placed 36 electrodes to stimulate the muscles in the upper and lower parts of his arm. This helped to restore movement in the fingers, wrist, elbow and shoulder.

Then the researchers connected the sensors in the brain to those that were placed on the arm to produce muscle contractions. This helped the man to do the movements that he thought about.

Despite the fact that the paralyzed man still needed support, as his hands could weaken, he began to perform some tasks independently, for example, he could eat or drink a cup of coffee through a pipe.

Great prospects for new technology

Steve Perlmatter, MD, from the University of Washington, calls the study "innovative," but says it is not yet suitable for everyday use. For example, the movements made by a man were coarse and slow and also required constant visual verification.

Nevertheless, he considers the results achieved an exciting demonstration that in the future people will be able to overcome paralysis with the help of motor neuroprosthetics.