Implanted brain microchips make the first arm of the prostitute "resurrection"

A quadriplegic person is now the first implementer of transplant rehabilitation technology. The microchip sends a signal from the brain to the muscles, allowing him to move his right hand and wrist. The technology also provides new insights into how the brain responds to damage.

Two years ago, 24-year-old Ian Burkhart from Dublin, Ohio, accepted a microchip implanted in his brain. This allowed him to "resurrect" his right hand, wrist and fingers while he was connected to the wired device in the lab. The research team led by Chad Bouton, now the Feinstein Institute of Medicine, has been studying Burkhart since then. Their findings are now published online on April 13th in Nature.

Implanted chip allows the hand to move

Previous studies have shown that when the spinal cord is damaged, the brain undergoes a "reorganization" - re-establishment of the connection. But this new study suggests that the degree of reorganization after injury may be lower than previously assumed. Bouton said: "This gives us a lot of hope that when there is not much nerve change in the brain after the injury, we can bypass the damaged area of ​​the spinal cord to resume exercise." Previously, such "neural bridge" has been done in monkeys. The human brain signal has been decoded and used to drive the robot prosthesis. But this is the first time a person can resurrect part of his body.

Burkhart, who was kneeling from the shoulder, could only move his shoulders and elbows to a small extent because he broke his neck while surfing the beach at the age of 19. Later, he found that at 25 minutes from his home, researchers at Ohio State University were developing rehabilitation technology and decided to become a volunteer for microchip implantation.

Bouton and he simultaneously performed fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) on ​​his brain while Burkhart tried to do hand exercises. This determines the precise area of ​​the motor cortex (the brain and motion associated with this area). A surgically implanted flexible chip is then used to detect the electrical activity that occurs when Burkhart wants to move his hand and pass it to the computer via a cable. The machine learning algorithm converts it into an electrical signal and passes it to a soft sleeve that surrounds Burkhart's right forearm and stimulates his muscles. He said: "This is the first day we connect it, I can get exercise, can open and close my hand."

Since then, he has participated in training three times a week. As a result, Burkhart is now able to move independent fingers and perform six different wrist and hand movements. In other things, he can pick up a glass of water or even play a guitar-based video game.

Understanding of the brain

This study provides an understanding of the brain's ability to adapt and take advantage of new situations. Interestingly, these circuits have been assumed to be incapable of doing a few years after the injury, but they are also related to hand movements.

Burkhart's brain has learned to work with his resurrected hand and hand muscles, and he already has some control. His ability to maintain grip while moving an object has gradually improved, which is related to a significant improvement in his brain's activity. The algorithm developed by Bouton adapts to this change in brain activity in a timely manner, effectively learning and fine-tuning his actions.

However, the installation has limited Burkhart's freedom. This system can only be used in the laboratory and currently needs to be recalibrated at each beginning. This process is time consuming and relatively technical. What people really need is stable every day and does not require calibration.

Burkhart wouldn't think he was the object of manipulation. The system provides sensory feedback from the brain and hands that would allow him to adjust his grip more effectively and pick up objects he could not see.