Understanding more the brain complexity

A brain implant could help regain the ability to make decisions, a process that may be lost after a stroke or brain injury, restore the neural mechanisms necessary for this process. According to a study published in the Journal of Neural Engineering, the placement of a neural device in the frontal lobe of a group of brain-injured monkeys succeeded in recovering, and even improving, their ability to make decisions.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky and the University of Southern California (USA) seem to have taken a key step towards the recovery of specific brain functions in patients with brain injuries. The study was based on a neural prosthesis implantation which evaluated the ability of neuronal communication in the brain of animals. 

Once that scientist obtained enough information about neuronal signaling and how this affected memory and recovery processes related to decision-making ability, they devised a model of multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) which stimulated those signaling neuronal pathways which had been and were necessary for the decision-making processes. The results showed that the MIMO model was highly effective in recovering the task performance capabilities and it was even able to improve performance in normal condition.

Picture from www.nanobrainimplant.wordpress.com

More information: 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/14/health/research/brain-implant-improves-thinking-in-monkeys.html?smid=pl-share
http://iopscience.iop.org/1741-2552/9/5/056012/article

Walking again

A British woman paralyzed from the chest down after a riding accident has become the first person to use permanently a bionic exoskeleton to walk, a device that so far has only been used in hospitals and rehabilitation centers.

Claire Lomas is the first person who takes the suit 'ReWalk' home for a daily use, after having previously used it for 17 days to participate in the London Marathon, which he used to raise 200,000 pounds for backbone research. She has recognized that routine activities are very rewarding now as standing "means everything" to her. "One of the best experiences was standing in a bar," she said.

Larry Jasinki, CEO of Argo Medical Technologies, the company that developed the exoskeleton suit, explained to Reuters that at first he had his doubts about supporting participation in the race because the suit was still in test phase, but Lomas said she managed it well. "The costume was very reliable in the worst weather and, after 17 days, I arrived (to the target)," she said.

The person wearing the exoskeleton activates it by bending their body, indicating their desire to take a step. In addition to supporting the weight of the body, it allows the user to walk up or down stairs and sitting or standing independently.

The device costs around 45,000 pounds, and although ongoing clinical studies could support the idea that health authorities finance the purchase of the device, its developers indicate that savings in the treatment of health problems related to inactivity could offset the cost.

More information:

http://www.cyclonemobility.com/rewalk/claire-lomas-london-marathon/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17743915