A life-changing medical first, a formerly paralyzed man can walk with assistance from electronic brain implants simply by thinking about the action.
40-year-old Gert-Jan Oskam from the Netherlands has suffered from paralysis for 12 years following a biking accident.
The brain implants transmit Oskam’s thoughts to his feet and legs wirelessly through an additional implant on his spine.
While a leading UK spinal charity calls the progress “very encouraging,” the procedure is still in an experimental phase.
“I feel like a toddler, learning to walk again,” Mr. Oskam told the BBC. Not only is he mobile, but climbing stairs and standing is now possible as well.
“It has been a long journey, but now I can stand up and have a beer with my friend. It’s a pleasure that many people don’t realize.”
Led by Swiss researchers, the development has been published in the journal Nature. Neurosurgeon Jocelyne Block of Lausanne University carried out the intricate procedure to insert the implants and emphasized that the technique is still in its infancy stage, with many years away from being accessible to other paralyzed patients.
“The important thing for us is not just to have a scientific trial, but eventually to give more access to more people with spinal cord injuries who are used to hearing from doctors that they have to get used to the fact that they will never move again.”
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