The Breakthrough
A participant of an electroencephalograph (EEG) based experiment who has been paralyzed for five years has regained the ability to walk. The participant walked along a course 3.66m in length with an EEG based system which took electrical signals from the participant's brain and then direct them to electrodes that have been placed on his knees to produce movement. Prior to this, the participant underwent mental training in order to help reactive the brain's ability to walk.
The Implications
This proof in their concept and experiment only involved a single patient, so there is no accurate way to say that this system can indeed help people walk again. In addition, the patient was using a system that supported his weight in case of a fall. Further studies will have to be done in order to establish a basis on whether the result will be true for a larger population of people that suffer from paraplegia.
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