Scientists managed to cure the paralyzed monkey hand by restoring neural connections

Loss of functionality of the limbs in patients may occur as a consequence of a violation of the nerve paths between the brain and spinal cord due to stroke or trauma. At the same time, the areas above and below the damaged area may remain fully functional.

A group of scientists from Japan and the United States managed to restore the neural connection in the monkey, thanks to which it was again able to control the previously paralyzed hand, according to the National Institute of Physiological Sciences.

The important point here is that paralyzed patients want to control their own body. This study is different from what other scientists have done so far. We do not use any artificial limbs, such as a robotic arm, to replace a real arm. The innovation is that we managed to use these artificial neural connections instead of the damaged ones in order to restore the subject’s volitional control over his own paralyzed hand. I think that if the corticospinal pathways are damaged, this is more likely to become a real method of treatment than the various kinds of robotic devices that are being developed.