Technology Restores Sense of Touch to Spinal Cord Injury Patients

An American research team has tested a technology that restores the sense of touch to people with paralysis, by implanting tiny sensors in the brain that send electrical pulses, generating in the patient the sensation that they are touching objects with their hands, even though the signals are entirely artificial. The American science website “No Ridge” revealed yesterday that the study was conducted by an American scientific team from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Chicago on five volunteers with spinal cord injuries, representing the longest follow-up of its kind to test a technology that restores the sense of touch. The technology relies on implanting tiny electrodes in the brain that send pulses, creating in participants the sensation that they are touching objects with their hands. Researchers observed encouraging results during the years of follow-up, as the sense of touch remained confined to the hand area without spreading to other parts, making the technology suitable for daily use.