Imagine wanting to move, but your body just won’t do what it’s told. This is a stark reality for many people with spinal cord injuries.

But researchers at Washington University have developed a way to help your brain and spine start talking again — no wires or surgery needed.

Using a special cap that reads brain waves, like a swim cap with sensors, the system can understand when someone wants to move, even if they aren’t actually moving.

As soon as the brain says to go, the system sends a small, pain-free zap to the spine through the skin. This light stimulation helps reinforce the brain’s command, training the nervous system — like a workout for the mind-body connection.

The team tested this setup on 17 healthy volunteers and found it could detect when someone was trying to move with surprising accuracy, even when they were just imagining movement.

Notably, it worked in real time with no delay between the brain giving the order and the zap.

This early success is a big step toward using the technology with people who have paralysis.

There’s still work to do, like making it even more accurate and usable in everyday life, but the future looks promising for mind-controlled recovery.

The paper was published in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.

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