Monkey Studies Could Help Paralyzed Humans by Magdalena Rosova

There is a new study in treatments for patients with stroke and spinal cord injury. Scientist discovered that monkeys taught to play computer game were capable to overcome wrist paralysis with a special device.

The monkeys learned to control a single brain cell which helped them to regain use of paralyzed muscles.

Dawn Taylor of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, who studies the usage of brain signals to overcome paralysis and was not involved in the new work, said the result of discovery is “an important step forward.”

The device monitored the activity of a brain cell and gained information used to stimulate wrist muscles electrically. The device can even use brain cells that normally do not control wrist muscles.

The research could help people with paralyzed wrist to grasp a coffee cup or brush their teeth and many other everyday things. However, it will take years or even decades to come into use.

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) devices help partially paralyzed people to stand, walk, use arms or hands and many other things. Nowadays, they use switch to control those devices.

Using brain signals could markedly help people paralyzed from the neck down with only few muscles they can control.

In the monkey experiment the researchers temporarily paralyzed monkey´s wrists. The monkeys had a hand placed on a flat surface. They learned to move a computer cursor by pressing their wrists downward or upward. Scientists monitored electrical signals fired by a brain cell. The monkeys learned to use the brain cells to control their paralyzed muscles and were able to play computer game.

However, people would need to monitor many brain cells at once for more complex movements. "There's a long ways to go,” study co-author Chet Moritz said.

related story: Brain signals rehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081015144129.htm

by Magdalena Rosova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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