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No. Quote from article: "Dr Courtine and Dr Bloch have developed a wafer-thin device with electrodes that could target the dormant nerves. Once implanted into
by unnouinceput 5y ago
No.
Quote from article: "Dr Courtine and Dr Bloch have developed a wafer-thin device with electrodes that could target the dormant nerves. Once implanted into Mr Roccati’s back, the device sent in pulses of electricity that mimicked those normally present in the nerves of an uninjured person as they walk.
By doing this, the device acted like an amplifier for any electrical signals coming from Mr Roccati’s brain. Those brain signals would normally be blocked by his damaged spinal tissue and be incapable of activating the nerves in his lower back. But with the stimulation device in place, Mr Roccati was able to voluntarily control those once-dormant nerves, allowing him to move his legs and walk."
It's his brain, the device is only used as amplifier. The fact that article talks about "Walk, swim, cycle" in its title is only a part of what people fitted with devices can do. It said he can also sit and talk to friends at bar.
- vba 5y agoWhy is this post downvoted? Is it inaccurate.
- wizzwizz4 5y agoIt's best not to speculate too much on voting. Who knows how many bots and trolls there are?
- eps 5y agoYes, it is inaccurate to the point of being the reverse. Muscles are controlled through the software, with pattern of activation uploaded from an iPad via Bluetooth and generally managed by am accompanying person. The patients absolutely do NOT control the muscles with their brain.
- snovv_crash 5y agoSo basically it's just a DAC + amplifier, not an ADC or with any kind of passthrough.
- clsec 5y agoThe methods used in this study sound almost exactly like a TENS unit (1). As someone with a spinal cord injury that almost left me a quadriplegic, and who has serious neuropathy as a result, I have found that TENS units do very little to help me. I hope this can help people though, (1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcutaneous_electrical_nerve_stimulation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcutaneous_electrical_nerv...
- eps 5y agoIt's NOT his brain. The article is 100% wrong. Read the Nature article linked at one of top comments. It is also mentioned in every interview the researchers gave recently. The muscles are controlled with the software only, the brain doesn't participate at all. "... the first implant specifically designed to control movement by mimicking the signals the lower body usually receives from the brain and upper spinal cord." https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00367-1 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00367-1