Quadriplegic can drink beer using the mind – EXAME.com

 The American Erik Sorto can not move his arms and legs thirteen years ago, when a shot has made him to be quadriplegic .

 

 But since scientists implanted processors in your brain, in 2012, he can move an arm robotic and make everyday functions such as greeting others and have a beer, according to a study published in the journal Science.

 

 Since then, scientists try to refine the process to be able to help other patients.

 

 The study published on Thursday (21) is different from research already published in this field and could mean a milestone in the control of robotic arms.

 

 So far scientists have prioritized the primary motor cortex part of the brain that coordinates muscle contractions necessary for movement. The problem is that it is very sudden movements.

 

 Instead, the group led by researcher Richard Andersen, a professor of neuroscience at CalTech, another targeted area in the brain called the posterior parietal cortex, which plans movements. Recorded data on the implants transmit the intention to get a glass of beer and allows the computer to understand how to make the move.

 

 “If we can communicate the intent, we have smooth and natural motion to that goal,” says Andersen.

 

 The implants, however, are not yet ready to be made available on a large scale. Sorto can use the arm just because your brain is connected to the computer that controls its robotic limb.

 

 Yes, the patient’s brain is connected with wires to the machine, which can lead to infections.

 

 “I want to be able to drink my own beer, drinking at my own pace, when I want to take a sip, and not need to ask someone to give me,” said Sorto, in a statement published by the California Institute of Technology, the CalTech .

 

 Sorto is one of the few people who received brain implants to help move objects with their minds. The first patient was Matthew Nagle, who in 2006 managed to move the course to a computer using only his thoughts.

 

 The idea is that the implants are wireless, but the amount of information transmitted by them is too great for that to happen, at least for now.

 

 Another problem is that the implant needs to be placed within the brain, causing some lesions that impact on patient recovery. Furthermore, the human body is corrosive, causing the implant to remain stable for a long period of time.

 

 Despite the difficulties, Sorto said that the project’s benefits go far beyond to allow it to drink a beer. “Just as they needed me, I needed the project. The project gave me a reason to live,” said Sorto.

 
       

Topics: Beer , Alcoholic Drinks , Science , Disabled Robotics