NEWS on nervous system implants

If a neurological remote controlled implant is no longer supported

A patient report noted that he found no further support after the withdrawal of the manufacturer of a neurostimulating implant. The device is implanted in the maxilla. He had a cluster headache that was relieved by the device. In another case, distribution of an ocular implant was discontinued because it...

Brain implant can improve memory

 Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the hippocampus is proposed for enhancement of memory impaired by injury or disease. Many pre-clinical DBS paradigms can be addressed in epilepsy patients undergoing intracranial monitoring for seizure localization, since they already have electrodes implanted in brain areas of interest. Even though epilepsy is usually...

Implantable cooler to temporarily block nerve conduction and ease pain

Soft, bioresorbable coolers for reversible conduction block of peripheral nerves Reeder et al. developed a soft, miniaturized, implantable cooler to temporarily block nerve conduction using a liquid-to-gas phase transition as the cooling mechanism (see the Perspective by Jiang and Hong). They borrowed the design of electrical nerve cuff and substituted...

Nerve stimulation with the help of implantable mini solar cells

An international research team has successfully developed and tested a concept in which nerves are stimulated with light pulses. The method provides considerable advantages for medicine and opens up a wide range of possible applications. The researchers see possible applications in severe brain injuries. Here, the stimulation of nerve cells...

Brain implant enables ALS patients to communicate with the world outside

A patient in the advanced stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who had lost his last ability to communicate with the outside world after paralyzing his eye muscles has learned to make himself heard again with the help of a brain-computer interface. Nach dem in Nature Communications (2022; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28859-8) vorgestellten Fall­bericht konnte...

Implanted System for Orthostatic Hypotension in Multiple-System Atrophy

Orthostatic hypotension is a cardinal feature of multiple-system atrophy. The upright posture provokes syncopal episodes that prevent patients from standing and walking for more than brief periods. We implanted a system to restore regulation of blood pressure and enable a patient with multiple-system atrophy to stand and walk after having...

Spelling interface using intracortical signals enabled neurofeedback training

Spelling interface using intracortical signals in a completely locked-in patient enabled via auditory neurofeedback training Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can lose all muscle-based routes of communication as motor neuron degeneration progresses, and ultimately, they may be left without any means of communication. Here, we implanted two 64 microelectrode...

Spelling interface using intracortical signals in a completely locked-in patient enabled via auditory neurofeedback training

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can lose all muscle-based routes of communication as motor neuron degeneration progresses, and ultimately, they may be left without any means of communication. While others have evaluated communication in people with remaining muscle control, to the best of our knowledge, it is not known...

Spinal cord neuromodulation rapidly restores trunk and leg motor functions after complete paralysis

Three people once paralysed by complete spinal-cord injuries can walk, swim, work the pedals of a bicycle and even paddle canoes, thanks to an implant that stimulates neurons in their spinal cords. Epidural electrical stimulation (EES) targeting the dorsal roots of lumbosacral segments restores walking in people with spinal cord...