A man who was partially paralyzed in a motorcycle accident 12 years ago can now walk, climb stairs and do household chores thanks to computer-assisted brain and spinal cord implants.
Gerd Jan Oskam, 40, from the Netherlands, lost control of most of his legs and arms after a terrible accident while in China, and doctors told him he would never walk again.
Unwilling to give up, Oskam underwent years of physical therapy and eventually joined the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology’s “Digital Bridge” project. The project had brain and spine implants implanted in 2017 and can now be worn as a backpack and connected to an external computer.
According to a proof-of-concept study released Wednesday, wearing a special headpiece sends signals from Oskamu’s brain to his spinal cord telling him to move his body, causing his legs to walk as he sees fit. It is said that it will be Nature.
Oskamu said the technology developed by Onward has changed his life, allowing him to complete simple household chores by himself.
“I needed to paint last week and no one helped me. So I took my walker and paint and painted it myself while standing,” he told reporters on Tuesday. rice field.
Study author Professor Grégoire Courtine said Oscam’s progress was astonishing compared to his condition at the time of his visit.
“When we met him, he was completely paralyzed and unable to take a step on his own without help.” told NBC.
When Oscam had his first implants, he said, although he regained some of his motor function, his movements were still tense and the machines at the time were unable to keep his thoughts in rhythm.
Physical therapy will plateau by 2021, so I decided to participate in a proof-of-concept study to see if that would change.
“Previously the stimulus controlled me, now I control the stimulus,” Oscam said of the new technology.
He said he could walk between 330 and 660 feet in a day and stand unaided for at least two minutes.
Onward said the system used by Oscam is planned for additional trials over the next 12 to 18 months, with four other people receiving the same implants to regain movement in their hands and feet. It is planned to
Cotin is optimistic that Oskam’s case and new technology will pave the way for many to walk again.
“There’s no reason this shouldn’t be the case for the majority of people with spinal cord injuries,” he said.
