Silk brain implant could aid spinal injuries, epilepsy

Silk brain implant could aid spinal injuries, epilepsy
Sun Apr 18, 1:16 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A brain implant made partly of silk can melt onto the surface of the brain, providing an "intimate" connection for recording signals, researchers reported on Sunday.

Tests of their device showed the thin, flexible electrodes recorded signals from a cat's brain more accurately than thicker, stiff devices.

Such devices might help people with epilepsy, spinal cord injuries and even help operate artificial arms and legs, the researchers report in the journal Nature Materials.

John Rogers of the University of Illinois, Urbana and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania and Tufts University in Boston made the electrode arrays using protein from silk and thin metal electrodes.

The silk is biocompatible and water-soluble, dissolving into the brain and leaving the electrodes draped over its contours, the researchers reported.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100418/hl_nm/us_brain_implant

which will repair the "irreversible" damage to my optic nerve. I would love to be able to sit down and read a book again with both eyes.

Please excuse the spilled whine.

:hug:

My husband competes in the same sport that broke Christopher Reeve's neck. The professional organizations we belong to are avidly supporting spinal cord injury treatment breakthroughs since "there but for the grace of God go I...."

Here's hoping for both of our sakes.

:fistbump:

my daughter has an optic nerve problem and so far the closest thing to a cure is a stem cell procedure in china (which is not a place *I* would go for medical care...)

I wish we would fund more stem cell research here in the states too, maybe it will happen before Obama leaves office in 2016