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First-time neurotechnology has restored locomotion in primates

An implant that beams instructions out of the brain, restores movement in paralysed primates

10-Nov-2016

Key points from article :

Chip was implanted into the part of the monkeys' brain that controls movement.

Chip reads the spikes of electrical activity, sends them to a nearby computer.

Computer sends instructions to an implant to electrically stimulate the appropriate nerves.

Monkeys regained some control of their paralysed leg within 6 days, walked in a straight line on a treadmill.

Experts said the technology could be ready for human trials within a decade.

Results got published in the journal Nature.

Mentioned in this article:

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Andrew Jackson

Professor of Neural Interfaces at Newcastle University.

Gregoire Courtine

IRP chair in Spinal Cord Repair - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL).

Nature

Scientific journal covering research from a variety of academic disciplines, mostly in science and technology

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich)

Public research university for technology and science

Topics mentioned on this page:
Brain Interface