Brain sensor breakthrough 'could change future spinal injury treatment'RSS Feed

03 March 2010

Scientists have made a breakthrough in brain sensor technology that could have implications for treating spinal injury in the future, it has been claimed.

Researchers at the University of Maryland have successfully reconstructed 3D hand motions on a computer using brain signals that are recorded through sensors placed on the scalp of participants.

The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, revealed that that the electrical brain activity acquired through the scalp surface is sufficient to reconstruct unconstrained hand movements.

Commenting on the implications of the findings, Jonathan Wolpaw of New York's Wadsworth Center in Albany, explained: "It may eventually be possible for people with severe neuromuscular disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), stroke, or spinal cord injury, to regain control of complex tasks without needing to have electrodes implanted in their brains."

The findings come after research by scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Centre carried out a successful experiment on rats using genetically modified stem cells implanted in the spine.

Following the procedure, researchers observed restored movement in the animals.

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