paralysis

Mind-controlled cursor may be easier than previously thought

When scientists at the University of Washington recently drilled into the skulls of seven people with severe epilepsy and placed thin sheets of electrodes directly onto their brains, they were surprised by the brain activity they observed.

While physicians were studying neuro activity to investigate seizure signals, a separate team of bioengineers was simultaneously on the lookout for exactly how the brains of the seven volunteers behaved as they learned to move a cursor using their thoughts alone. It turns out that, in as few as 10 minutes, activity went from being centered on the prefrontal cortex, which is associated with learning new skills, to areas seen during more automatic functions, such as waving one's hand or kicking a ball.

In other words, in just a matter of minutes these brains behaved as if they had already mastered these Jedi mind tricks.… Read more

Scientists help paralyzed rats walk by 'waking up' spinal cords

Paralyzed rats with spinal cord injuries are now walking, running, and even climbing stairs on their way to chocolate rewards thanks to a combination of chemicals and electrical stimulation.

While it remains unclear whether the development in rats will translate to humans, the ability of the rats to voluntarily initiate movement has led researcher Gregoire Courtine to get extremely animated as he describes a profound change in our understanding of the central nervous system.

"After a couple of weeks of neurorehabilitation with a combination of a robotic harness and electrical-chemical stimulation, our rats are not only voluntarily initiating a … Read more

Brain-machine interface helps move paralyzed hand

After "eavesdropping" on the electrical signals of monkeys' brains that tell their arms and hands how to move, researchers at Northwestern University are reporting this week in the journal Nature that they've devised new tech that could some day help paralyzed patients move their limbs in spite of their spinal cord injuries.

To analyze the monkeys' natural neuroelectrical activity, the researchers implanted tiny multi-electrode arrays that detected the activity of about 100 neurons in the brain to decipher the signals that generate hand movements.

They then recorded the electrical activity that occurred when the monkeys grasped, lifted, … Read more

Patient 'S3' hits 1,000-day mark with brain implant

A woman known as Patient S3, who is paralyzed from her neck down and cannot speak, has just reached the 1,000-day anniversary with a brain-computer interface called BrainGate, and researchers are reporting in the Journal of Neural Engineering that the device is still effective.

"This proof of concept--that after 1,000 days a woman who has no functional use of her limbs and is unable to speak can reliably control a cursor on a computer screen using only the intended movement of her hand--is an important step for the field," said Leigh Hochberg, associate professor of engineering … Read more

The 404 300: Where Dr. Michael Breus puts us to sleep with 300 green beers

Dr. Michael Breus, the Sleep Doctor, joins us today for what is quite possibly the most informative show we've ever done. No iPhone OS 3.0 news here today. We've got something so much better. It's our 300th episode, and we're still not canceled! *Fingers crossed.*

That's right, we're still amazed. 300!

If you've ever listened to the show, you know we push the limit of acceptable behavior--even on the Interwebs. Justin has his poop jokes. Wilson has his stuffed peppers. And Jeff has his general hatred of humanity and happiness. Thank you, our listeners, for keeping us alive and giving us a reason to come into work every day. Go out and celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your friends, call The 404, and let us know why you listen to the show. 1-866-404-CNET (2638).

We couldn't think of any better way to celebrate than to have Dr. Michael Breus on the show. Why would an Internet culture show have a sleep doctor on? Because boy do we love sleep, and we promise you won't be disappointed. He talks about how long you should sleep. What you should eat before you go to bed. Whether clear liquor or dark liquors will give you a hang over. We cover it all. Thank you so much for your questions. He's got a great blog too.

Celebrating episode 301 tomorrow, we've got debbiefromtoronoto coming on the show. She's going to bring a big bag of goodies. We can't wait to get a hold of those ketchup potato chips. And for 302, we've got Jonathan Coulton, musician and generally cool dude. Be prepared for more awesomeness.

EPISODE 300 Download today's podcast… Read more

Robotic skeleton to fight paralysis

Lest there be any doubt, the science of robotics isn't being used only to produce novelty toys or to populate Japan's service industry. This robotic skeleton, by contrast, has been developed by Japanese researchers with a decidedly humanitarian goal: to help the partially paralyzed regain movement.

Using the synthetic blue muscles of the exoskeleton pictured here, patients can theoretically help their limbs relearn their intended motions. A paralyzed left arm, for example, can mimic the movement of a healthy right one to help patients remember "the feeling of moving the arm themselves," according to Ubergizmo. The … Read more