Columbus: For the first time, a paralyzed person has been able to perform complex tasks involving hand, wrist and finger movements using signals recorded from his own brain.
Six years
ago, Ian Burkhart was paralyzed in a diving accident. Today, he participates in
clinical sessions during which he can grasp and swipe a credit card or play a
guitar video game with his own fingers and hand. These complex functional
movements are driven by his own thoughts and a prototype medical system that
are detailed in a new study.
The device,
called NeuroLife, was invented at Battelle, which teamed with physicians and
neuroscientists from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center to develop
the research approach and perform the clinical study. Ohio State doctors
identified the study participant and implanted a tiny computer chip into his
brain.
"I just
kind of think that it's my obligation to society," Burkhart said. "If
someone else had an opportunity to do it in some other part of the world, I
would hope that they would commit their time so that everyone can benefit from
it in the future."
Rezai and
the team from Battelle agree that this technology holds the promise to help
patients affected by various brain and spinal cord injuries such as strokes and
traumatic brain injury to be more independent and functional.
"Participating
in this research has changed me in the sense that I have a lot more hope for
the future now," Burkhart said. "I always did have a certain level of
hope, but now I know, first-hand, that there are going to be improvements in
science and technology that will make my life better."
The study is
published online in the journal Nature.
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