Quadriplegics have managed to surf the net by thought thanks to an ultra-sophisticated implant designed by scientists at Stanford University.
You can not stop progress. Recently, three quadriplegic patients were able to perform activities on the web by moving the search cursor in thought. A team of scientists from Stanford University implanted a device in the brains of three patients: a man and a woman, both aged 51 and another man aged 63. The three participants were able to make online purchases, chat online, send emails or even play the virtual piano.
The results of the pilot clinical trial have been published in the journal Plos One. “One of the patients had explained to us at the start of the experiment that she wanted to be able to play music again, and seeing her play on a virtual keyboard was very moving”, develops Dr. Paul Nuyujukian, who led the research.
Helping patients reconnect with their former life
Designed in partnership with the company BrainGate, the implant works from networks of electrodes in connection with the area of the brain that manages movement. The sensors decode and transmit the message from the brain to the device (in this case a tablet), which will allow people to use the internet by simple thought.
“This study is another step toward the growing utility of intracortical brain-computer interfaces as potential assistive, communication, educational, environmental control, and entertainment devices for people with paralysis,” the authors point out. of the study.
Neurosurgeons are pleased to have implemented a system that allows quadriplegic patients to reconnect to activities they practiced before their accident.
“This experience allowed patients to regain access to the technologies they used daily before their accident or the onset of their illness,” said Jaimie Henderson, a neurosurgeon at Stanford University.
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