New 'brain-spine' device tested in monkeys may help cure paralyzed humans

Swiss scientists have developed a new implantable device to help monkeys with spinal-cord injuries regain the use of their legs, which may eventually lead to a cure for paralyzed humans.

The device, which is a neuroprosthetic interface, can function as a brain-spine connector, transmitting signals wirelessly from the brain to stimulate electrodes in the legs, said the researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL).

It means the interface can relay the movement instructions while bypassing the damaged area of the spine causing the paralysis, according to their study released Wednesday by the scientific journal Nature.

The treatment used in monkeys is seen as a potential boon for immobile patients. "For the first time, I can imagine a completely paralyzed patient able to move their legs through this brain-spine interface," said Jocelyne Bloch, a neurosurgeon at the Lausanne University Hospital, in a press release from EPFL.

Meanwhile, Gregoire Courtine, a Swiss neuroscientist who led the research, warned that challenges still remain ahead as the brain decoding of a human being is much more complicated. "It may take several years before all the components of this intervention can be tested in people," he said.

With the new device, the scientists have successfully treated two monkeys each with one leg paralyzed by a partial spinal cord lesion. Endi