SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY
Sniffing Device Allows Paralyzed Woman to Communicate
from the Guardian (UK)
A 51-year-old woman who was left paralysed and unable to communicate following a massive stroke has written for the first time in seven years, scientists say. The Israeli patient, who was diagnosed with "locked-in syndrome," typed an emotional email to her six children using a revolutionary device that is controlled by sniffing.
The woman was so badly brain-damaged by the stroke that she cannot move any of her limbs or even blink in response to simple questions. She wrote the letter within a few days of being taught how to use the device.
The technology, developed by scientists at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel, is now being used by other severely disabled people to surf the internet and even control a wheelchair. One, a 63-year-old quadriplegic woman who can barely speak, wrote her first letter in 10 years with the device and has started using it to send emails.
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