[longhaul]

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Monkeys regained the use of paralyzed wrist muscles with a computer-aided device that uses brain signals to direct movement, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

The finding may lead to treatments for people paralyzed with spinal cord or other injuries, they said.

"This was an initial demonstration that this type of technology is possible," said Chet Moritz of the University of Washington in Seattle, who reported his findings in the journal Nature.

The system essentially provides an artificial route for brain signals to reach paralyzed muscles, replacing a natural pathway that may have been disrupted by injury.

While other teams have developed complicated systems that look for brain signals that control movement in specific body parts, Moritz and colleagues wanted to see if the brain could teach itself to use the computerized system.

Researchers implanted monkeys with electrodes that monitor brain cells in the motor cortex, the area of the brain that controls movement. The electrodes sent signals to a computer, which was wired to muscles in the wrist.

The researchers injected drugs into arm muscles of monkeys to induce temporary paralysis, then asked them to play a familiar video game.

"The monkey's task was to play a very, very simple video game where he had to move his wrist back and forth ... in order to acquire targets that were presented on the screen," Moritz said. "The monkey could play this video game before he was paralyzed, so he understood the game."

"Once he was paralyzed, the only way to move his wrist was to change the activity of individual neurons in his brain, which would then subsequently control the stimulation of his muscles."

Only one neuron was needed to control the motion, and many different cells in the motor cortex could be trained to use the system, the researchers said.

"We found that monkeys can learn very rapidly to control newly isolated neurons in order to stimulate their muscles," Moritz said.

He said the system would be intended for use in individuals who are paralyzed from the neck down, but, he said, "We are several decades away from this being a clinical application."

[KarenFerguson]

Yeah, hubby & I saw this on the news last night. Both of us at the end of the story gave a big sigh and a large meh.

Basically, they're just going around the "problem". What really needs to happen is for the body to heal itself and that's with stem cells. We can implant or stick as many electrodes to ourselves but there's just so many pathways going through the spinal cord, that trying to find a computer based or artificial connection for each one of those would be difficult if not impossible. Right now they're working on what ... one area? Isn't there like 32 muscles in just the thumb? Yeah, think about that.

It's always good to hear of any progress with paralysis. I'm sure this procedure might help amputees more that SCI's.

[Kev-O]

I saw something kinda like this on "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" the other night but it was paralyzed guy in France they did this on. It allowed him to stand up an slowly start to walk. It looked like they needed to work out a few kinks in it but it does look like something we are going to be seeing more of IMO.

[topperf]

Karen, I agree with you, but I'm actually slightly uncomfty with this research - It's very expensive, and I'd very much like to see those money spend on research that is more relevant to paralyzed humans - I think Stephen Davies in Denver is doing a very fine job, let him handle the monkeys back, and mine...

This post has been edited by topperf: 17 October 2008 - 10:50 PM

[StellaLAtella]

I agree with you Karen and Topperf. I'm also adamantly against animal research. You know they have to render these animals paralyzed in the first place to do the research. And what a horrible existence for these creatures to be the "test subjects" their entire lives........living in small cages........and ultimately destroyed in the end.
~Stella

[longhaul]

The researchers injected drugs into arm muscles of monkeys to induce temporary paralysis, then asked them to play a familiar video game.
It's a tough call, how do they do research if they can't use humans or animals. The results of animal research has saved many human lives.

[Kev-O]

longhaul, on Oct 27 2008, 02:22 AM, said:

The researchers injected drugs into arm muscles of monkeys to induce temporary paralysis, then asked them to play a familiar video game.
It's a tough call, how do they do research if they can't use humans or animals. The results of animal research has saved many human lives.

haha yall are not going to believe this but i actually agree with longhaul on something.

[longhaul]

Stick around we might start going steady..............

[topperf]

I want in on that

[dancin' johnny]

my cure