Brain-Spinal Cord Interface Helps Paralyzed Patients Regain the Ability to Walk

Speaker: Prof. Bing Liu, Associate Researcher
Chair: Prof. Shan Yu
Time: 10:00, Thursday, June 1st, 2023
Venue: No. 1 Meeting Room (3rd Floor), Intelligent Building, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Significant progress has been made in the medical applications of brain-computer interfaces. Dr. Grégoire Courtine of EPFL and Prof. Jocelyne Bloch of Lausanne University Hospital have conducted a series of studies on restoring walking ability in spinal cord injury patients through epidural electrical stimulation of the lumbar spinal cord. Their work (Wagner et al., Nature, 2018; Kathe et al., Nature, 2022; Rowald et al., Nature Medicine, 2022; Lorach et al., Nature, 2023) demonstrates that such interventions can help paralyzed patients regain voluntary control of leg and trunk muscles, enabling them to stand, walk, and even climb stairs.
The latest study (Lorach et al., 2023) introduced a brain-spinal cord interface (BSI) that links brain signals to the spinal cord in real-time, further promoting motor recovery even in severe spinal cord injuries. This technology, which allows coordinated stimulation of both the brain and spinal cord, holds tremendous potential for treating motor impairments caused by neurological injuries and diseases.
This talk will outline recent international progress in BSI research, with a focus on new studies and in-depth discussions.

Biography

Dr. Bing Liu is an Associate Researcher at the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the CAS Talent Program. His research focuses on computational neuroscience and implantable brain-computer interfaces. He studies the dynamic processing of interactions between external devices and neural systems, particularly in brain-computer interface systems that integrate machine learning with the brain to improve motor control training outcomes. His work also applies closed-loop neuromodulation technologies to aid in emotion regulation and motor rehabilitation. He has published extensively, including first/co-first author papers in Nature Biomedical Engineering and Nature Communications.

Organizer: Laboratory of Brain Atlas and Brain-Inspired Intelligence