British guitarist Rodney Hamilton is using a special headset to restore his “brain memory” after suffering a stroke, with the aim of regaining mobility in his hands in the future. According to BBC journalists, Queen's University Belfast is testing video games that are controlled by brain impulses. According to scientists, the programs they have developed aid in the rehabilitation process for stroke survivors.
- Participants in the experiments wear headsets that read their brain activity while they mentally imagine moving their affected hands. This makes it possible to simulate full nervous system activity.
- One participant was 67-year-old British guitarist Rodney Hamilton from Dundonald. Hamilton, who used to play the guitar regularly, suffered a stroke at age 46, losing the ability to move his arm and hand. Hamilton said he misses music and that the video game experiments bring him pleasure and a sense of "normality."
- The researchers noted that anyone who has suffered a stroke is welcome to participate in the experiments with headsets and video games. Dr. Katie Rudi noted that video games can help train the brain and contribute to motor recovery. According to her, neuroplasticity enables the brain to adapt and use other areas to restore lost functions.
- The "motor visualization" method used at Queen's University activates the same areas of the brain as real movement, according to the researchers. This provides an opportunity to maintain the activity of the body parts affected by the stroke, even if real movement is not yet possible.
