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Man walks again - 7th July 2023

A Dutch man who was paralysed in his legs can now walk again. Gert-Jan broke his neck in a bicycle accident many years ago. His brain and legs lost communication. He couldn't move from his waist to his feet.

A team of Swiss and French scientists tried to solve that communication problem with technology.

Grégoire Courtine's a member of the team.

Grégoire Courtine: "We managed to restore this communication with a digital bridge which transforms thoughts into action. That means implants located in the region of our brain that normally controls the muscles of the legs. We capture this thought with implants and transform it into electrical activations of the spinal cord to activate the muscles of the legs, as the patient would normally do to walk."

Special technology reads Gert-Jan's thoughts. It then sends a message down to the correct leg muscles. And it's wireless, so Gert-Jan isn't always attached to big machines or lots of wires.

He can now get up, walk and even go upstairs. But it hasn't been easy.

Gert-Jan: "It might not be for everybody because it’s not only implanting the system and then you can walk, it’s still a hard period of training."

Since his brain and legs were operated on, it's been a long journey. For many months, Gert-Jan needed training. Scientists have been shocked at the results.

Gert-Jan was once told he'd never walk again, but he always hoped.

Gert-Jan: "They told me, no, we can’t help you. I could move my arms and they said, like, be happy with this, but I never believed that I couldn’t walk anymore. At this point it was not based on anything, actually, but I still kept hope."

Now scientists are busy planning. They hope to use the technology further. It could help others who are paralysed.