Paralyzed Patients Take Steps Towards Recovery with Groundbreaking Surgery

Paralyzed Patients Take Steps Towards Recovery with Groundbreaking Surgery

Four individuals with paralysis have undergone a groundbreaking surgery, the first of its kind in the world. This surgery involved implanting electrodes in the brain and spinal cord, creating a "nerve bypass" to restore their ability to walk independently.

The Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence at Fudan University developed this technology. During a media interview on March 4th, they announced that the four patients underwent the surgeries between January 8th and March 3rd at Zhongshan Hospital and Huashan Hospital in Shanghai. The patients experienced varying degrees of improvement in their condition.

Within 24 hours of the surgery, which involved synchronized electrode implantation lasting just four hours, the patients were able to move their legs with the assistance of artificial intelligence. The researchers observed that individuals with severe spinal cord injuries were able to achieve independent leg control and take steps within two weeks. This marks a significant step forward in the treatment of spinal cord injuries, opening a new era of neural function reconstruction.

"The post-operative status of the patients confirmed our scientific concepts on clinical patients," said Jia Fumin, the team's lead researcher. "We plan to optimize the technology based on the data we have obtained, so that the next batch of patients enrolled in the study can experience better and faster recovery."

The spinal cord serves as a crucial pathway connecting the brain and the peripheral nervous system. When the spinal cord is damaged, motor commands from the brain cannot reach the spinal cord to control muscles, leading to paralysis.

Jia's team has developed a new generation of brain-spinal cord interface technology, constructing a "neural bridge" between the brain and spinal cord. This technology collects and decodes brain signals, providing spatial-temporal electrical stimulation to specific nerve roots, enabling paralyzed individuals to regain control of their limbs.

The surgery involved implanting a chip integrating devices for electroencephalography collection in the skull and spinal cord stimulation in the spine. Additionally, two electrodes with a diameter of around 1 millimeter were implanted in the left and right brain, and a paddle lead was implanted in the thoracic or lumbar epidural space.

Jia highlighted the scarcity of research focusing on restoring lower limb mobility through such innovative technologies. He emphasized the challenge of real-time decoding of the patient's brain signals. "Our technology demonstrates a delay of around hundreds of milliseconds in action after the brain sends the command," he said. "We aim to shrink this delay to approach a state almost indistinguishable from that of a healthy individual.