Locked-in patient “speaks”

A man with locked-in syndrome has been able to communicate with his family by using his mind to control a keyboard. So far, the 36-year-old, who suffers from a neurodegenerative disease, has requested goulash and a beer, asked his four-year-old son if he’d like to watch a Disney film with him, and begged his mother to give him a head massage. Once, he told his family: “My biggest wish is a new bed and that tomorrow I come with you for barbecue.” The man consented to take part in the study before complete paralysis robbed him of his ability to move or blink his eyes to communicate. Since then, he has received two implants in parts of the brain linked to voluntary movement, and been trained by researchers at the Tübingen…

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The Week United Kingdom (Digital) - 1 Issue, 1377

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