Scientists restore movement to paralyzed limbs through artificial brain-muscle connections
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 13:00
in Biology & Nature
Researchers in a study funded by the National Institutes of Health have demonstrated for the first time that a direct artificial connection from the brain to muscles can restore voluntary movement in monkeys whose arms have been temporarily anesthetized. The results may have promising implications for the quarter of a million Americans affected by spinal cord injuries and thousands of others with paralyzing neurological diseases, although clinical applications are years away.