Major Progress in Health Through Technology

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1、FromVOALearningEnglish,thisisSCIENCEINTHENEWSinSpecialEnglish.I'mBobDoughty.AndI'mFaithLapidus.Today,wetellaboutawomanwhocanusesignalsfromherbraintomovearoboticarm.Wetellabouteffortstodevelopanexperimentalgenetreatmentforpatientswithheartdisease.AndweexplainhowAmericancomputersarehel

2、pingmedicalworkersinZimbabwestudytheconditionoftheirpatients.Awomanparalyzedfromtheneckdownhaslearnedtouseherthoughtstocontrolaspecially-designedmotorizedarm.Thearmistheproductofyearsofresearchonmind-controlledartificiallimbs.ResearchersintheAmericanstateofPennsylvaniasaythemotorized

3、armisthemostadvancedmind-controlledprosthetic,orreplacementlimbevermade.TheycreatedthedevicetohelpreturnsomemusclecontroltoJanScheuermann.Sheissufferingfromadegenerativeneuromusculardiseasethatparalyzedherfromtheneckdown.Shehasnocontrolofherarmsandlegs.Themotorizedrightarmhasafive-fi

4、ngered,fully-jointedhand.ItenablesMs.Scheuermanntopickupandholdobjects,andfeedherself.NeurobiologistAndrewSchwartzledtheUniversityofPittsburghresearchteamthatdevelopedtheprostheticarm.Hesaysresearchersplacedabout200electrodesinthewoman'sleftcerebralcortex.Theleftcerebralcortexisthepa

5、rtofthebrainthatpeopleusetomovetheirrightarm.Dr.Schwartzsaystheelectrodesrecordedwhatthewoman'sbraincellsweredoingwhenshethoughtaboutmovingthearm."Andthatwasenoughinformationthatwecouldthendecodefromthoserecordings,whattheintentionofthesubjectwas,thewayshewantedtomoveherarmandherwris

6、tandcloseherhand.Wecoulddecodetheinformationfromthoseneuronstoallowustodothat."JanScheuermanntookpartina13-week-longprogramtoteachherbraintomovethearm.Butshedidnotneedthatmuchtime.Shewasabletousehermindtomovetheroboticarmafterjusttwoweeksoftraining.Shereportedlytoldresearchersthatshe

7、plannedtousethearmtofeedherselfsomechocolate.Whenshewasabletodothat,itmadetheresearchteamveryhappy.AndrewSchwartzsayshisteamplanstobuildanotherartificialarm,sopeoplelikeMs.Scheuermanncanholdandmoveobjectsusingtwohands."Andreallythesatisfyingpartisthatwe'renotjustmakingamachinemove,we

8、'reactuallyr