A man who was left paralysed after a cycling accident in 2011 has regained the ability to walk with an aid thanks to a brain implant that reads his neural signals and relays them to electrodes in his spine. The “digital bridge” was developed by neuroscientists at Switzerland’s Lausanne University Hospital, who are aiming to use wireless signals to help reconnect brain signals with muscles that have been disabled due to a broken spinal cord. The pioneering procedure required researchers to install electrodes on the patient’s brain to detect neural activity when the patient tried to move his legs. This data was then processed through an algorithm that transmitted the signals to further electrodes in the spine, activating the needed nerves to produce the desired movement. The system could allow for miniaturised implants to help both stroke patients and others with paraplegia walk again, as well as helping them control bladder functions and other actions.
Gert-Jan Oskam, 40, originally from the Netherlands, was shattered when he was told that he’d never walk again after breaking his neck in a traffic accident in China. However, thanks to the implant, Gert-Jan has climbed stairs and walked for over 100 metres at a time since having the operation. Previous trials of the device replicated the movements of walking via a computer to the spinal cord, however the movements weren’t natural and had to be triggered manually. Since this latest research, the movements have become more fluid and originate from Gert-Jan’s own thoughts, stimulating the muscles needed to flex hip, ankle and knee.
The research is still in its early stages, however the team behind the implant has great hopes for its future contributions helping both paralysed and stroke patients. Gert-Jan Oskam’s progress, made over a decade after his accident, gives researchers hope for helping newer patients, with the potential for post-surgery immediate recovery proving tremendous.
