"Paralyzed Man Uses Mind Control to Walk Again"
A 26-year-old man who is paralyzed in both legs has walked for the first time in five years - just by thinking about it. He is the first person to have his brain activity recorded and used to control a muscle-stimulating device in his legs. Every year, 250,000 to 500,000 people worldwide suffer spinal cord injuries, which can leave them partially or completely paralyzed below the site of damage. He was able to will his legs to walk or stop correctly 99% of the time. This is impressive for a device that measures brain activity from outside the skull, says Kristjan Ragnarsson, MD, a physiatrist at The Mount Sinai Hospital. "It is important to have a very high level of accuracy, because even at a level of 99 percent there is a chance the person could fall and injure themselves," says Dr. Ragnarsson.
- Kristjan Ragnarsson, MD, Professor, Rehabilitation Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, System Chair, Rehabilitation Medicine, Mount Sinai Health System