8 Paralyzed Patients Learn To Walk Again Using Virtual Reality

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Gizmodo: In a new study published in Scientific Reports, eight patients paralyzed with spinal cord injuries exhibited partial restoration of muscle control and sensations in their lower limbs following an extensive training regimen with non-invasive brain-controlled robotics and a virtual reality system. Developed by Duke University neuroscience Miguel Nicolelis and colleagues, the system tapped into the patients' own brain activity to simulate full control of their legs, causing the injured parts of their spinal cord to re-engage. Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) work by establishing direct communication between the brain and a computer, which then allows patients to control external devices with their thoughts, including prosthetic limbs or exoskeletons. Earlier this year, Nicolelis showed that it was possible for a monkey to control a wheelchair with its mind, though with an implanted brain chip. In the new experiment, the system non-invasively recorded hundreds of brain patterns emitted by the brain, collecting these motor commands from those signals, and then translating them into movements. During the year long experiment, Nicolelis and his team investigated the ways in which BMI-based training could influence the ability of paraplegics to walk using a brain-controlled exoskeleton. To augment this process, they turned to virtual reality, which assisted with visualization and mind-body awareness. While in a virtual reality environment, and when hooked up to the exoskeletons, the patients could see virtual representations of the own bodies, and even receive tactile feedback.

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[Quirkz]

You don't need vr for that.
1. Wear glasses.
2. Let the glasses slip down your nose a little.
3. Will your ears to pull the glasses back up.

At least, that's how I learned how to wiggle mine.

Note: it's really more a scalp muscle that twitches the skin and tugs the ears along with it.

Pandora

[quenda]

I hope the programmers put some floating hills and dragons in the VR simulation, just for fun.

This is great news...

[jpellino]

for the people paralyzed by crashing into things while staring at their phones.

This is a comment subject

[m0hawk]

I'm a bit baffled by the lack of comments on this.

Being able to move your leg (even a little bit) after being told you have lost all control of them forever is pretty damn amazing!

I hope this is the start of a new scientific/medical field for people who have had spinal cord injuries.

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[fintux]

I was wondering the exactly same thing - why there are so few comments. But perhaps this is just great news without causing too much controversy and there's not much to add?

Though I was expecting at least on some speculation on what else could be achieved with something similar. Also, for me it is very curious that two-way neural function has been restored. Perhaps the neurons are secreting some neural growth factors or through some other mechanism causing also other neurons to restore their function. There

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[ausekilis]

What's with the clickbait listicle title? Is /. trying to become the new foxnews.com/microsoft.com/facebook.com/oracle.com?

I got nothing.

This is really the first step (pun!) towards the creation of human tanks, the next VR program will end up with people being able to control wheels, then tracks, then turrets, then the brains will be removed and added to machines....

Wait, you mean I can roll around on tank treads instead of using my own two legs like a sucker? Sign me up! Being one of the bosses from Super Smash T.V. is step #435 on my plan for world domination.

VR is about control of the populace, they will improve it to the point that we don't know whether we are in it or not and then they can start making us do what they want.

There is no spoon. Just keep taking that blue pill.

Exoskeletons are the first step towards Terminator robots - SkyNet is here, something something Singularity.

We're in luck. Stephen Colbert [youtube.com] is already on the case there. Though I say I have to agree with one of this threatdowns. #5 is robots, #4 is bears, #3 is robots, #2 is bears and the number one threat to our nation is robot bears.

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[fintux]

Argh, Slashdot should really have better notifications, I always miss replies to my posts. But going to the point...

OK, you asked for some (manufactured) controversy, so here are some starters for a debate.

I actually didn't ask for controversy, I was just wondering if the controversy is the thing that often spurs conversations, or what was the reason for the lack of conversation, because I find these news very interesting and also very good. The AC's comment below (https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=9516543&cid=52691593) offers an interesting view on this, in my opinion.

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[fintux]

I think you're onto something here!

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[AC5398]

Maybe it takes time for the damage to heal. But a lack of stimulation to the nerves over that same time means brain doesn't re-discover the healed areas? The BMI is taking and using brain patterns, and as a result the brain is being made to re-discover and use the healed areas?

catch22; rail-roads or development first

[yes-but-no]

Seems it's a classic case of chicken n egg problem. The hardware [neural net/connections in spinal cord/brain] gets generated only if there is use/ a use-case. But you can't use if you don't have feedback. So both producer n consumer have stalled. You create a seed disturbance (using VR to coax the logical part to ask for input.. ).. n this gets into a virtuous positive feedback loop. Producer starts churning and the cycle goes. You came out of a dead-lock. In fact a determined human with enormous will-powe