Soft brain implant helps paralyzed rats walk again

Neural implants are going soft.

Scientists have made a soft, flexible electrical implant that mimics the elasticity of the brain and spine’s protective tissue. When implanted into paralyzed rats, the ribbonlike device, which delivered electrical and chemical stimulation to the brain and spine, helped the animals walk again. Unlike previous implants, which are rigid, the new flexible one moved with the animals, keeping the stimulation attached to their neural tissue. The implants also did not trigger an immune response, the team reports in the Jan. 9 Science.

The results could have implications for long-term treatment of paralysis and certain diseases, such as Parkinson’s, in humans. For more on treating paralysis, read SN‘s “Mind to motion” feature.