Bypassing the Brain with Computers Could Assist Walking Rehab

Researchers believe a recent breakthrough using a computer to bypass commands from the brain to the legs could help people with walking disabilities caused by spinal cord injuries. From wired:

Instead of employing the brain, the technique uses arm movements and a computer interface to tell the legs what to do by creating an artificial connection to the locomotion centre in the base of the spinal cord.

The gait disturbance and walking difficulties experienced by people who have suffered spinal cord injuries can be attributed to damage to the neural pathways that run to the locomotion centre. Usually when the link between the brain and locomotion centre is corrupted, the ability to walk is directly affected. The other neural pathways above and below the injury, however, usually maintain most of their functions.

While the brain sends messages to the locomotion centre about starting and stopping walking and changing speed, rhythmic movements, such as those required for swimming and walking, can be controlled even when the locomotion centre is isolated from the brain. By bypassing the need to include the brain in the equation and replacing it with a computer interface instead, walking ability is restored.

The research team from the National Institute for Physiological Sciences in Japan decided that the best way to tell the brain what to do would be by mirroring the action of the arm muscles, which are obviously in most circumstances strongly associated with leg movement. In the testing phase of the theory, participants — all of whom it should be noted did not suffer with neurological problems — could control a magnetic stimulator capable of driving the spinal locomotion centre non-invasively. They were asked to relax their legs but move their arms. The results were that they were able to control their leg behaviour, to the point of being able to manipulate their step cycle.

Read more.


Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards

Join Adafruit on Mastodon

Adafruit is on Mastodon, join in! adafruit.com/mastodon

Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.

Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.

Join us every Wednesday night at 8pm ET for Ask an Engineer!

Join over 36,000+ makers on Adafruit’s Discord channels and be part of the community! http://adafru.it/discord

CircuitPython – The easiest way to program microcontrollers – CircuitPython.org


Maker Business — “Packaging” chips in the US

Wearables — Enclosures help fight body humidity in costumes

Electronics — Transformers: More than meets the eye!

Python for Microcontrollers — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: Silicon Labs introduces CircuitPython support, and more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi

Adafruit IoT Monthly — Guardian Robot, Weather-wise Umbrella Stand, and more!

Microsoft MakeCode — MakeCode Thank You!

EYE on NPI — Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey

New Products – Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers! — #NewProds 7/19/23 Feat. Adafruit Matrix Portal S3 CircuitPython Powered Internet Display!

Get the only spam-free daily newsletter about wearables, running a "maker business", electronic tips and more! Subscribe at AdafruitDaily.com !



No Comments

No comments yet.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.