Yasmina Kattou, edited by Laura Laplaud / Photo credit: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP 07:28, May 25, 2023, modified at 07:36, May 25, 2023

For the first time, a man, whose legs have been paralyzed for more than ten years due to a bicycle accident, can once again control the movement of his legs and the rhythm of his steps with thought. A scientific feat developed by French and Swiss researchers who publish their results in the journal "Nature".

A paraplegic walks on his two legs thanks to thought: this is a world first. French and Swiss scientists have allowed Gert Jan, a 40-year-old Dutchman with paralyzed legs, to walk again after a dozen years in a wheelchair after a bicycle accident. A feat whose results are published in the prestigious journal Nature. How does this technology work?

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Restoring the link between the brain and spinal cord with implants

For this to work, the link between the brain and spinal cord had to be restored. For this, implants were placed on the surface of the brain, at the level of the area responsible for the movement of the legs. When the patient thinks about walking, the electrical signals generated by the brain are transmitted to a computer that decodes these signals, thanks to algorithms. The data is sent back to sensors located on the spinal cord. Simple thought is converted into movement in real time. The connection between the brain and spinal cord, essential for walking, is then restored. The movement is natural, gentle, which allows the patient a new life on a daily basis.

"This patient was able to evolve on complex terrain, that is to say to be able to go outside, walk on various environments, climb ramps, walk with crutches, climb stairs. This is the first time that a patient has used a brain-spinal cord interface as part of their daily life," explains Guillaume Charvet, head of the brain-machine interface program.

A new clinical trial to restore hand and arm function

The researcher hopes that this technology can be generalized in the future. The scientific teams are preparing to launch a new clinical trial to restore the function of the hands and arms in quadriplegic patients.