Pioneer work in Neuroprosthetics

Severe spinal cord injury (SCI) and Parkinson's disease (PD) affect an estimated patient population of about 6.6 million persons worldwide. At present, there are no proven efficacious treatments to improve the functional capacities of severely paralyzed people. Current surgical treatment of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease relies on complex and high-invasive deep brain stimulation procedures with implanted electrodes.

The goal of the EU-research project NEUWalt is to develop a brain spinal neuroprosthetic interface system to restore voluntary motor functions with severe SCI and to establish a less invasive and safer surgical strategy to alleviate PD syndroms.

This new generation of neuroprostethic systems requires novel technological solutions, which are based on the conception of microtechnological and microelectronical methods. These includes flexible multielectrode arrays and neurostimulators combining wireless powering and signal transmission as well as highly developed neural stimulation.

The project started on June 1st 2010 and is co-ordinated by IMM. It is partly funded by the EU Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development with almost 9 million Euros.

www.neuwalk.eu