From a fascinating AP story:
NEW YORK – Monkeys taught to play a computer game were able to overcome wrist paralysis with an experimental device that might lead to new treatments for patients with stroke and spinal cord injury. Remarkably, the monkeys regained use of paralyzed muscles by learning to control the activity of just a single brain cell … The device monitored the activity of a brain cell and used that as a cue to stimulate wrist muscles electrically. Researchers found it could even use brain cells that normally had nothing to do with wrist movement, said study co-author Chet Moritz.
Story link is here.
Gordon, the subject of Wheeling the Deal: the Outrageous Legend of Gordon Zahler, Hollywood’s Flashiest Quadriplegic, might’ve volunteered for an exciting test like this. Heck, 40 years ago he already was taking experimental medicine (think Medieval-style Viagra) and thinking of chopping off … Check that. You’re going to have to read the book to see what I’m so uncoyly hinting about.
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