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Single Neuron Wired To Muscle Un-Paralyzes Monkeys

Posted by samzenpus on from the gentlemen-we-can-rebuild-him dept.

GalaticGrub writes "A pair of paralyzed monkeys regained the ability to move their arms after researchers wired individual neurons to the monkeys' arm muscles. A team of researchers at the University of Washington temporarily paralyzed each monkey's arm, then rerouted brain signals from a single neuron in the motor cortex around the blocked nerve pathway via a computer. When the neuron fired above a certain rate, the computer translated the signal into a jolt of electricity to the arm muscle, causing it to contract. The monkeys practiced moving their arms by playing a video game."

14 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. Sucky job by Hatta · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who's the grad student who had to break those monkeys spines?

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    Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    1. Re:Sucky job by couchslug · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Who's the grad student who had to break those monkeys spines?"

      The subjects were actually grad students costumed as monkeys.
      Lab monkeys are too valuable to use.

      --
      "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
    2. Re:Sucky job by rockrat · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No one broke the monkeys' spines. The article states that the spinal neurons innervating the wrist muscles were temporarily blocked using a local anesthetic. What's particularly amazing about this study is that the monkeys were able to quickly learn to control their wrists using the cortical neurons that the computer was monitoring, even if those neurons were not involved in control of the wrist before paralysis.

      I'm a friend of the paper's author and am certain that neither the researchers nor any sane review board would have allowed monkeys to be permanently injured to perform this study; it just wouldn't be necessary.

    3. Re:Sucky job by Kashgarinn · · Score: 5, Funny

      "ooh ooh ooh" ?

      - Did one of the monkeys escape and start posting on slashdot?

  2. Better title would be.... by wealthychef · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Monkeys learn to play video games." I actually think that's more amazing.

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    Currently hooked on AMP
    1. Re:Better title would be.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      That gold won't farm itself...

    2. Re:Better title would be.... by guyminuslife · · Score: 5, Funny

      You were killed by b33st13b0y.
      b33st13b0y: lol pwned
      b33st13b0y: ur mom is ghey
      b33st13b0y: suk it

      I think we've known this for quite some time.

      --
      I don't believe in time. It's a grand conspiracy designed to sell watches.
  3. Re:Yes by arrenlex · · Score: 5, Funny

    But can you teach them to type??

    Of course; that's how they expect their thesis to be written.

  4. Re:Yes by owlnation · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But can you teach them to type??

    Yes. I offer Wikipedia as proof.

  5. Ob. by Facetious · · Score: 5, Funny

    It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times. Blurst of times! Stupid monkey!

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    Let us not become the evil that we deplore.
  6. Amazing by Profane+MuthaFucka · · Score: 5, Funny

    Amazing! This is truly a wonderful time to be a monkey.

    --
    Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
  7. Seems ripe for exploitation by durnurd · · Score: 5, Funny

    Also, he adds, the system would ideally be fully implantable. Whenever wires protrude through the skin, as they did in the monkey experiments, they introduce risks of infection and disruption. The group plans to tackle this problem with miniaturized components and wireless technology.

    Seems ripe for exploitation...
    "...Quit hitting yourself! Quit hitting yourself..."

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    --Edward Dassmesser
  8. Sooo... What if they connected a human's brain by CrazyJim1 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Can a human control a monkey arm?
    If so, can we control its entire body?
    If so, can we do it remotely, through a wire to a cell phone.
    If so, how long until someone decides to use monkeys as freedom fighters?
    Yes, science should never go down this path, but hey, it is still possible to look down the paths

    --
    God spoke to me.
  9. Shock the Monkey by afxgrin · · Score: 5, Funny

    Whoever tagged this article "shockthemonkey" is awesome.