The system includes a neuro-computer interface with recording electrodes embedded in the skull and functional electrical stimulation (FES). The first person to experience the technology was 56-year-old Cleveland resident Bill Kochevar, who was paralyzed from the shoulders down as a result of an accident. With her help, he restored the movement of his arms and hands. “Our research is at an early stage, but we believe that this neuroprosthesis can offer people with paralysis the opportunity to restore hand function for daily activities. Now this technology allows a paralyzed person to reach for an object and take it, meaning he can eat and drink. With further development, the technology can provide more precise control, expanding the possible range of actions,” said Bolu Ajiboye, lead author of the study. The Kochevar experiment is part of the BrainGate clinical trial program conducted by a consortium of academic and medical institutions evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the neuro—computer interface system in people with paralysis. Other research within BrainGate has shown that humans can control a cursor on a computer screen or a robotic arm. Jonathan Miller, an associate professor of neurosurgery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, led a team of surgeons who implanted two 96-channel arrays of electrodes onto the surface of the brain. They then implanted 36 electrodes of FES systems that revitalize the muscles in the upper and lower arm. Arrays record brain signals when a Stoker imagines the movement of his hand or arm as a whole. The neurocomputer interface decodes the recorded information from the brain signals about what movements it intends to make, and then it is converted by the FES system into patterns of electrical impulses to control the electrical stimulation system. Impulses sent through the FES electrodes activate the muscles that control the shoulders, elbows, and wrists. To overcome gravity, which otherwise would not allow him to raise and extend his arm, Kochevar uses mobile hand support, which is also under the control of his brain. Before the implantation, Kochevar first learned how to use his brain signals to move his hand in virtual reality on a computer screen. As Kochevar’s ability to move his virtual hand improved over the next four months of training, the researchers assumed that he would be able to control his arm and hand. Eight years of muscle atrophy required rehabilitation. The researchers performed cyclic procedures of electrical stimulation of Kochevar’s arm and hand. In 45 weeks, his strength, range of motion, and endurance have improved significantly. When he tried to move his arm, the scientists adjusted the stimulation patterns to develop his motor abilities. Now the patient can use his mind to make each joint of his right arm move individually. Or, just by thinking about eating or drinking, he brings the muscles into a coordinated movement. When asked to describe how he commands the movement of his hands, Kochevar replied: “I make her move without exerting much effort. I just think about it, and it works.” The researchers note that the achievement required for the technology to be used outside the laboratory is not that far from reality. Work is currently underway to create wireless brain implants, and researchers are also improving the decoding and stimulation circuits needed to more accurately detect movements. Fully implantable FES systems have already been developed and are being tested in separate clinical trials. The BrainGate research technology was originally developed at Brown University in the laboratory of John Donohue, now founder of the Wyss Center for Bio- and Neuroengineering in Geneva. The implantable recording electrodes, known as Utah arrays, were originally designed by Richard Norman, distinguished professor of bioengineering at the University of Utah. Author: Anastasia Krasnianskaya, Geektimes, based on Case Western Reserve University: Man with quadriplegia employs injury bridging technologies to move again—just by thinking