The project "go again"

Neurointerface connects brain and legs after spinal injury

Georgy Golovanov, Hi-tech+

The non-profit international consortium Walk Again Project has returned the ability to walk to two patients with lower limb paralysis. Instead of surgical operations on the spine, specialists turned to a non-invasive neurointerface.

Article by Selfslagh et al. Non-invasive, Brain-controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation for Locomotion Rehabilitation in Individuals with Paraplegia is published in the journal Scientific Reports – VM.

To start walking after a spinal injury, two Walk Again Project patients use a non-invasive device like a 16-channel EEG. It directs the brain's electrical impulses to the eight muscles in each leg. The gait becomes more physiological, and only ordinary walkers and a weight unloading system are needed for movement. In order to master the new technology, it takes approximately 25 classes.

The results of the training can be seen on YouTube – VM.

Both patients have already made over 4,500 steps thanks to the new technology. In addition, one of the patients has obvious signs of improvement of motor functions after practice.

An important element of the new system is a feedback controller that allows for real-time correction of movements, taking into account muscle fatigue and external interference. Another know-how is a wearable tactile display on the wrist, which provided patients with a constant flow of information about the position of the legs in space, writes EurekAlert (Brain-controlled, non-invasive muscle stimulation allows chronic paraplegics to walk).

This technology and the results of five years of research conducted by the WAP project will allow scientists to create an integrated, non-invasive platform for the treatment of patients with spinal injuries.

Patients will have the opportunity to start training soon after the injury. And in the future, it will be possible to connect robotic components to the platform, for example, exoskeletons.

American scientists are developing a NeuroLife brain implant that decodes signals sent by the brain and, with the help of electrical impulses, stimulates the movement of a paralyzed limb. The device should be ready in a couple of years.

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