Within
the next decade, individuals suffering from stroke or spinal cord
injury can have their mobility restored or improved with the help of a
new technology- implantable device. These machines can send out signals
between areas of the nervous system or brain that have been disconnected
because of injury.
The
effort includes researchers from San Diego State University,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and several other partners. To
encourage their efforts and to support development of this technology,
the NSF or National Science Foundation has renewed funding for the
center. Experts say there is a huge need for developing newer medical
devices to assist people with traumatic or progressive neurological
conditions such as spinal cord injury or stroke. The aim is to attain
proof-of-concept demonstrations in the next five years. This should lay
the foundation for eventual clinical devices that are approved by the
government.
CSNE
was instituted in 2011 with a grant of $18.5 million. Since then, the
organization’s interdisciplinary team comprising of engineers,
neuroscientists, computer scientists, ethicists, neurosurgeons, and
industry partners has been able to come up with 'bi-directional'
implantable mechanisms that send information to other areas. These
devices decode and record electrical signals that are generated by the
brain when an individual forms an intention, for instance, to move a
hand for picking a mug. The devices can also transmit the information
wirelessly, creating a new pathway (artificial) around the areas of the
brain or nervous system that have been damaged.
Apart
from this, CSNE is also working towards improving implantable
technologies used today, including deep brain stimulators that are used
for treating patients with Parkinson's disease. These transport electric
pulses across the human brain at an apt frequency which is adjusted by
the physician to attain the desired effect. However, this means that the
human brain is bombarded constantly by electrical pulses even while the
patient is resting. This can cause unwanted side effects and completely
drain the battery of the implantable device, requiring recurrent
replacement surgeries.
In
contrast, industry partners and CSNE researchers are working towards
'closed loop' implantable devices that observe the brain and deliver any
electrical stimulation only when it's required.
The
funding initiated for CSNE will permit the experts to make progress in
closed-loop neural interfaces and will help achieve this ambitious goal.
Apart from this, NSF funding will also help the center to further
expand its education programs for school teachers, K-12 students,
veterans and undergraduates to other partner institutions.
While
the future looks bright for those with mobility impairment, the present
is also not gloomy. Non-medical transportation facilities can be used
to make travel easier and simpler for people suffering from temporary or
permanent mobility impairments.
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