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Guitarist Hopes To Play Again With The Help of Bionic Hand

Posted by samzenpus on from the we'll-rebuild-him dept.

Dorian Cox, the 27-year-old guitarist of the indie band The Long Blondes, thought his guitar playing days were over after he suffered a stroke. He now has a glimmer of hope thanks to some neurological physiotherapy which includes a cutting-edge piece of medical technology. The SaeboFlex helps patients by supporting their wrists and helping them grasp and release objects. "It's a fantastic service, it's helping tremendously and I think it can work wonders for me and others — it's almost like a gym for my hand. I know things might never be the same again and nobody can give me a definite answer about whether I'll play guitar again but I'm getting back on track with their help," Mr. Cox said. This thing looks really cool, and I'm sure many people will benefit from it, though I can't help but wonder if they make a model that lets you shoot your fist at an enemy.

72 comments

  1. No stairway!? by stonedcat · · Score: 0

    Denied!

    --
    You can't take the sky from me.
    1. Re:No stairway!? by Roland+Piquepaille · · Score: 1

      Stairways are indeed tough for hemiplegics.

    2. Re:No stairway!? by Arthur+Grumbine · · Score: 1

      Haven't you heard?! Pachelbel's Canon is the new Stairway to Heaven. If he can play THAT I'm sure there won't be any complaints.

      --
      Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
    3. Re:No stairway!? by bytta · · Score: 1
      How can you put in real link instead of a Rickroll?

      You must be new here...

    4. Re:No stairway!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The first song he'll play? Mr. Roboto

  2. I hope he learns to play again for the band's sake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    The Long Blondes are a great band, their album Someone to Drive You Home was IMHO one of the best releases of 2007. Highly recommended, especially if you love earlier indie efforts like Pulp. I hope we hear more from them.

  3. too bad they suck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.thelongblondes.co.uk/

  4. 12 years to go by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Come on, no Johnny Silverhand references yet?

  5. Not the only thing he's gonna do with that hand... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He can do crosswords again, too!

  6. Possibility by mail2345 · · Score: 1

    Hey, if it doesn't work, he can always just hook up wires directly into an electric guitar.

  7. Another Possibility by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    If the "cutting-edge piece of medical technology" isnt enough to play real guitar, he could always play bass.

    Like William Murderface.

    1. Re:Another Possibility by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...or Guitar Hero

  8. No, you were not! by bogaboga · · Score: 0, Redundant

    "It was difficult to take in because I thought strokes only happened in older people and I'd always been in pretty good health.

    Of course you were not. What happened was...you thought you were in good health, but you were not and there is proof.

    Things like strokes do not happen overnight.

    Events that you did not see, took place in your body, the result of which was the stroke.

    I wish you a quick recovery.

    1. Re:No, you were not! by GrpA · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yes, strokes can happen spontaneously overnight. There are lots of people out there who just develop blood clots without any known medical or physiological reason and it often comes on suddenly.

      Clots can lead to strokes and PE's

      And you can still be in good health (medically speaking) and get a thrombosis.

      GrpA

      --
      Enjoy science fiction? "Turing Evolved" - AI, Mecha, Androids and rail-gun battles. What more could you want?
    2. Re:No, you were not! by Roland+Piquepaille · · Score: 4, Informative

      That's a lot of BS. A friend of mine had a stroke in is 30s: he kept fit, didn't drink, didn't smoke, didn't eat too much, and you how it happened? He was taking a dump, was pushing hard with his mouth closed, and collapsed right there. The hospital doctor I talk to said the extreme change of blood pressure when someone does that is enough to burst a vessel even with the healthiest person.

      Incidentally, I who drinks coffee, alcohol and smokes the cigar, never rushes my morning business anymore. I've seen the result, nosiree...

    3. Re:No, you were not! by cgenman · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Or another way of looking at it: The tools we have to define good health cannot be used to rule out the possibility of a stroke at any moment.

      My uncle died of an aneurysm in his skull one night. He was in his late 20's and quite healthy. They still don't know why it formed.

      It may be comforting to say things like "things like strokes do not happen overnight." It lets us sleep better. However, they do actually happen over night, and genuinely healthy people die all the time. By being healthy you reduce your chances of impending death, but you don't eliminate them.

      --
      The ______ Agenda
    4. Re:No, you were not! by lysergic.acid · · Score: 1

      you learn something new everyday...

      actually, i've always had a hunch that pushing really hard when you're taking a dump could be bad for you. my circulatory system isn't that great to begin with. sometimes when i stand up and stretch my arms/legs/back really hard and sit back down, i'll get really lightheaded, to the point where i actually feel like i'm going to black out--my ears will start ringing, my vision gets dim, and sometimes i even start losing my sense of balance. it feels almost like being on nitrous, except that it goes away a little bit faster (~10-15 seconds instead of 1-2 minutes), and afterwards i usually feel a little nauseous. but yea, i've abuse a lot of stimulants in the past, and i don't really exercise much these days. the last thing i need is to give myself an aneurysm trying to take a shit.

      but getting back on topic, the article doesn't really give much info about what this device actually does. it seems to be more about this Long Blondes guy rather than the technology behind the glove. is it mechanical? is it electrically powered? is it like an exoskeleton strength-multiplier, or does it just create resistance to strengthen your hand?

    5. Re:No, you were not! by mvanvoorden · · Score: 2, Funny

      Just go away, you insensitive clot!

    6. Re:No, you were not! by MistrBlank · · Score: 1

      Well I'll feel fortunate that a hemorrhoid is all I developed from that kind of strain. Seriously though, if you have to push that hard, it's time to evaluate your fiber intake.

    7. Re:No, you were not! by moxley · · Score: 4, Funny

      Thank you.

      Taking a shit was fun enough before, now I have to worry about sudden stroke death.....FUCK!

    8. Re:No, you were not! by MistrBlank · · Score: 2, Informative

      The bottom line, you shouldn't have to push. Believe it or not, changing the amount of fluids (particularly water) as well as upping your fiber intake should do the trick.

      Since I've changed that much of my diet (more water and a glass or two of Konsyl, a pure fiber supplement, every day) the crap literally falls out of me and in massive quantity. At the worst, your breathing and sitting up straight while taking a bowel movement should be enough to work it out of you. Remember to breathe, the displacement of organs that results from breathing causes a massaging type of action to help move things along in your system. Any strain beyond that and there is something wrong.

      I really wish there were a manual on this kind of thing, I never realized how bad some of those "common" bathroom habits were for your body. For instance, all those people that sit on the toilet while reading increase the chance of developing hemorrhoids or other blood vessel related complications due to the extended stress it puts on that part of the body.

    9. Re:No, you were not! by interploy · · Score: 1

      Yes, I can just see getting a new toilet with a little pamphlet on the side labeled "How to Take a Dump".

      Or better: "So You've Decided to Take a Dump..."

    10. Re:No, you were not! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So the next update to /. will be the ability to tag posts "ohnoitsroland"...

    11. Re:No, you were not! by diablovision · · Score: 1

      Actually it sounds like your friend had an hemorrhage, which is not the most common type of stroke, and is typically avoidable (e.g. by avoiding such spikes in blood pressure).

      --
      120 characters isn't enough to explain it.
    12. Re:No, you were not! by adminstring · · Score: 1

      Or, if you are using Microsoft Toilet 2008, an animated roll of toilet paper that says "It looks like you are taking a dump. Would you like help?"

      --
      My truck is like a series of tubes.
    13. Re:No, you were not! by badkarmadayaccount · · Score: 1
      ERROR 31:Segfault in memory range 0xACF1343B6 0xACF1347F8; Core dumped;

      0xDEFEC8ED

      *me ducks*

      --
      I know tobacco is bad for you, so I smoke weed with crack.
  9. not a bionic hand at all by 2ms · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This is in no way whatsoever a bionic hand. A bionic hand is a powered orthosis that has both intelligence in the form of things like feedback contol and intent recognition + integration with the nervous system in some way. This thing here is a fancy brace, basically. Nothing at all like a "bionic hand"! This is probably the worst misuse of the word "bionic" that I've ever seen.

    1. Re:not a bionic hand at all by Gleapsite · · Score: 4, Informative
      Dictionary.com says:

      bionic
      -adjective
      1.utilizing electronic devices and mechanical parts to assist humans in performing difficult, dangerous, or intricate tasks, as by supplementing or duplicating parts of the body

      And this uses mechanical parts to assist a human in doing things.

      --
      face the world with eyes of fire.
    2. Re:not a bionic hand at all by not-quite-rite · · Score: 1

      Also, it is not a hand - any more than a glove is a hand.

      It is an orthosis, more specifically a dynamic hand orthosis.

      (from a bionics researcher, with a degree in prosthetics and orthotics...)

    3. Re:not a bionic hand at all by DreamsAreOkToo · · Score: 4, Interesting

      If we fix the grandparent, though, he still has a point.

      "This is probably the worst misuse of the word 'hand' that I've ever seen."

      Really, when you call something a bionic hand, you're implying it is a prosthetic limb. He still has his hand, it just doesn't work so great. The article is intentionally "misleading" but they "justify" it by including "quotes."

    4. Re:not a bionic hand at all by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · · Score: 1

      I would think a prosthesis would be a robotic hand, rather than a bionic. Bionic implies a combination of machine and human parts. Which is what it looks like to me.

      --
      Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
    5. Re:not a bionic hand at all by stephanruby · · Score: 1

      It doesn't really assist. That glove is only used for reeducation. He's not going to use it to play the guitar. The guy says it himself: "it's almost like a gym for my hand".

    6. Re:not a bionic hand at all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Long Blondes of Brooklyn, they were okay band but they disbanded because the stroke of Guitarist. It would be cool to see him play again with this robotic arm.

    7. Re:not a bionic hand at all by 2ms · · Score: 1

      So, do you consider a neck brace a bionic neck? Do you consider a pair of crutches a bionic leg?

      The guy still has his hand! This thing is essentially a glove that has springs to support the fingers so they don't hang limp. Kind of like a neck brace or knee brace etc has stiffness to it to support one's neck etc so it won't go limp without use of muscles or ligaments etc that are injured.

      This thing is a brace for a hand that is limp.

      It is not a functional replacement for a hand. That's what a "bionic hand would be". In fact, a "bionic" hand, as opposed to an artificial hand prosthetis, has some form of intelligence and interface with the nervous system.

      I design them. I know what I'm talking about

    8. Re:not a bionic hand at all by uberjack · · Score: 1

      So I can't use it to go around swinging, and take on Commander Killt?

  10. How common are strokes in 27 year olds? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Poor guy.

  11. Re:Aids by ChangelingJane · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Enjoy your medical aides.

    Fixed that for you.

  12. God's way by larjon · · Score: 1

    I guess it's God's way of saying "stop playing crappy music!" :)

    Seriously, being a guitarist myself I hope it works out for him!

    --
    $> cd /pub
    $> more beer
  13. T T T T Townshend by Tablizer · · Score: 1

    Pete Townshend can now smash guitars like nobody's mama.
             

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  14. Human MIDI controller? by spintriae · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I've seen the way some of these types of bionic body parts work by recognizing brain patterns associated with specific movements. I wonder how far off this technology is from allowing musicians to compose music on synthesizers just by thinking about the notes. People like me who are far better at composing than playing would be able to make some pretty incredible music with an ability like that. And people like Dorian Cox would have a much better shot at playing music again, because let's face it, guitar is hard enough when your hands are slightly cold, much less completely numb and paralyzed. There's only so much you can do with a bionic hand.

    1. Re:Human MIDI controller? by 2ms · · Score: 1

      It's about 15-20 years away from real-world use and will require brain implants (of sensor + hole through your skull for wires etc to come out) which would most likely have to be removed and reimplanted into different area of brain every couple years (since signals at implant sites degrade over time and it's not looking like there's going to be any way stopping the degradation).

  15. Directly into the guitar by Thanshin · · Score: 1

    He should plug in through a "PS3 - Brain" adapter and use a Guitar Hero axe.

    There are multiple advantages to that aproach if he ever wants to change to battery or bass, or loses his vocal cords, ...

  16. Other side of the story by Korbeau · · Score: 3, Funny

    Bionic hand hopes to play again with the help of a guitarist.

  17. This needs a new title by CometRico · · Score: 1
    There is no way this bionic arm, in it's current implementation will allow him to go anywhere near the level that he was able to play at before the stroke. I hate seeing articles like this on the net - completely misleading in the fact that they make you believe that something has progressed farther than it really has.

    Get back at me when he can use this hand to do more than pluck a string here and there.

  18. Anyone else think... by MsGeek · · Score: 1

    ...Anakin Skywalker? ^_^

    --
    Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
    1. Re:Anyone else think... by aiht · · Score: 1

      I was thinking Luke, actually...

    2. Re:Anyone else think... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let's hope Luke for several obvious reasons. But most importantly, we wouldn't have to endure Jar Jar.

  19. Bionic Commando by the+9a3eedi · · Score: 1

    Meh. I can't wait for the day we see a guitarist turn into a commando and rid the world of neo-nazis

  20. What potential by ripdajacker · · Score: 0

    No need for a girlfriend anymore.

  21. No need for a bionic arm... by jayloden · · Score: 4, Informative

    Heh. You don't need a bionic hand for playing guitar.

    Keith Xander has been doing it for years with one arm - and well, too!

    Hell, there's even a guy who plays guitar with no arms! Granted, it's mostly Tom Petty songs, but still ;)

    1. Re:No need for a bionic arm... by fishbowl · · Score: 1

      >Hell, there's even a guy who plays guitar with no arms! Granted, it's mostly Tom Petty songs, but still ;)

      That guy is in San Diego all the time. I've seen him a lot. He can play pretty much anything you request.

      --
      -fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
    2. Re:No need for a bionic arm... by muellerr1 · · Score: 1

      Another thing--most people use their left hand for chords on a guitar and the right for picking. The impression here seems to be that we'll see a YouTube video of this guy's bionic hand noodling up and down the neck, but chances are it will just be a pick holder.

      --
      steampunk web design
    3. Re:No need for a bionic arm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cedell Davis is not impressed.

    4. Re:No need for a bionic arm... by joNDoty · · Score: 1

      FYI - the man's name is Mark Goffeney. (The YouTube video doesn't even cite this amazing man's name.)

      Goffeney has more dexterity in his toes than I have in my fingers. Congratulations to him for daring to learn guitar with no arms!

  22. Heed the word! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He will name himself Johnny Silverhand.

    The prophecy fulfilled!

  23. Names by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    These comments would be much more fun if the doctor, not the patient, had the name Cox.

    (Also, his first name is Dorian. He might be kind of old for this, but I'm thinking his parents wanted him to be a doctor.)

  24. He should join Def Lepard by gijoel · · Score: 1

    Because the drummer in Def Lepard has only got one arm.

    The drummer in Def Lepard has only got one arm

    The drummer in Def Lepard has only got one arm

    The drummer in Def Lepard has only got one arm

    1. Re:He should join Def Lepard by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      The drummer in Def Lepard has only got one arm

      And boy, is his forehead sore. Cymbals are hard!

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  25. Scrubs anyone!? by noundi · · Score: 1

    Did anyone else notice that his name consist of the last names of John Dorian and Perry Cox from Scrubs? Perhaps I'm watching too much TV.

    --
    I am the lawn!
  26. Re:Aids by Bloke+down+the+pub · · Score: 1

    No, you just broke it in a different way.

    --
    It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
  27. Re:I hope he learns to play again for the band's s by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

    How did someone so YOUNG end up having a stoke?!?!?

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  28. Not how I remember it... by zolaar · · Score: 1

    A stroke? Please. We all know how it really happened...
    ---
    Needles: Hey! The big "DC". How's it hangin', Cox?
    Dorian Cox: Hey, Needles...
    Needles: Nice set of wheels! Let's see what she can do! Next green light!
    Dorian Cox: No thanks.
    Needles: What's the matter? Chicken ?
    Dorian Cox looks at Needles, and Jennifer clasps Dorian Cox's hand.
    Jennifer: Dorian Cox... don't!
    Dorian Cox defiantly throws his truck into gear, revving the engine.
    Dorian Cox: Grab a hold of something...

    --
    One man's constant is another man's variable.
  29. No. This is a bad idea. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Even if he relearns to play the guitar with his bionic hand, the music will only be drowned out by the "Na-na-na-na-na" sound his bionic hand will make while playing.

  30. Re:I hope he learns to play again for the band's s by Authoritative+Douche · · Score: 1

    A seemingly healthy High School classmate had one at age 16. Came back a year later with a cane but was otherwise OK, other than the 1000 yard stare a young person gets when they look at mortality too early.

  31. When it says he wants to play again... by koafc2 · · Score: 1

    Are they referring to Guitar Hero or the "real" thing?

  32. Names by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now we know where the TV series Scrubs got its names from. "Dorian" "Cox"..

  33. This story needs one more tag: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Robotrock!

    (Reference Daft Punk for example.)

  34. Re:I hope he learns to play again for the band's s by Telepathetic+Man · · Score: 1

    Clots can start to form anywhere in the body and then travel. If you sit for too long in one place, it's possible to start to form a clot in your legs, and that clotted blood can then travel to the brain.

    --
    Just because you can, does not mean you should.