New brain chip aids speech and swallowing recovery after injury
US researchers develop a brain implant that sends electrical signals to help restore speech and swallowing in patients with brain injuries.
Key Takeaways
AIA team of American researchers has developed an electronic brain chip capable of sending low-frequency electrical signals to help restore speech and swallowing abilities in people who have suffered brain injuries.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, as reported by the medical research website HealthDay, explained that the chip works by sending signals to the motor thalamus, a deep brain region connected to the motor cortex.
Trials showed that deep brain electrical stimulation helped activate the facial and throat muscles in several patients who had originally received the implant to treat uncontrollable tremors.
The researchers noted that deep brain stimulation using electrical signals is currently used to treat certain neurological disorders, including tremors associated with Parkinson's disease.