Imagine regaining freedom of movement after years of being confined to a wheelchair. That was possible for a man paraplegic that, because of an innovative combination of two amazing technologies, he was able to walk naturally again.
The communication held between his brain and spinal cord was re-established, allowing him to complete a step for the first time in ten years. Swiss surgeon Jocelyne Bloch, responsible for the procedure at the University Hospital Center of Vaud in Lausanne, she explained that the patient was unable to walk at first, but has now regained his freedom.
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Gert-Jan is the first paraplegic to achieve this incredible feat, thanks to two revolutionary technologies implanted in her brain and spinal cord. Electrodes created by the renowned French scientific and industrial research laboratory, the Commissioner of Atomic Energy (CEA), were implanted in the area of the brain responsible for movement of the legs.
This digital bridge, the result of a decade of joint research between Swiss and French laboratories, provided an innovative scientific advance for humanity.
This amazing device is able to decode electronic signals from your brain and turn your movement intentions into real leg actions. Thanks to artificial intelligence algorithms, everything is done in real time!
With a field responsible for imposing electrodes on the spinal cord, the device can control the movement of your legs. It is worth mentioning that all this is transmitted through a completely portable system, which can even be carried in a bag.
The patient is now able to voluntarily perform his movements and amplitude, just thinking about taking a step! This is a historic milestone in neuroscience, as stated by Grégoire Courtine, a renowned professor at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne.
Patient Gert-Jan needed to undergo two surgeries to receive the implants that allowed this incredible achievement. After much training, he was able to stand and walk for several minutes at a time again. Although it has been a long journey, the result has been surprising.
After completing six months of training, Gert-Jan showed a breakthrough. This is because, during this period, she was able to recover part of her sensory and motor faculties. And these stimuli happen even when the system is off.
Based on the results, it is possible to state that establishing a connection between the brain and the spinal cord can promote a reorganization of neuronal circuits in the region affected by the injury. This discovery is extremely promising to bring hope to those who suffer from some type of paralysis.
According to Charvet, an expert in the field, there is still a lot of work to be done before this technology is available on a large scale. However, his team is already working tirelessly to test it on people with paralyzed arms and hands and stroke victims.
