Paralyzed Man Walks Again with Electronic Brain Implants

Once paralyzed due to a 2011 bike accident, Gert-Jan Oskam, a 40-year-old Dutch man, has regained the ability to walk courtesy of a pioneering surgical procedure involving electronic brain implants.

"It's like being a toddler again, relearning how to walk," Oskam shared with the BBC. "It has been a long journey, but now I can stand up and have a beer with my friend. It's a pleasure that many people don't realize."

This groundbreaking procedure, developed by Swiss neuroscientists, restores communication between the brain and the spine via a 'digital bridge', as described in the journal Nature. The electronic implants strategically positioned in Oskam's brain transmit his intentions to a second implant on his spine, enabling him to walk.

Jocelyne Bloch, the neurosurgeon who performed the surgery, cautions that the system remains experimental, with several years anticipated before it's available to the public. Nonetheless, she expresses optimism that this 'digital bridge' will eventually be accessible to everyone in need.

"The important thing for us is not just to have a scientific trial, but eventually to give more access to more people with spinal cord injuries who are used to hearing from doctors that they have to get used to the fact that they will never move again," Bloch told BBC News.