The DR TV program 21 Søndag featured CFIN researcher Jakob Blicher’s ALS research in their program Sunday 26 September 2021. In the TV feature, Jakob Blicher talks about his work with developing a robotic exoskeleton and a brain computer interface (BCI) that may help patients with ALS to perform arm and hand movements such as eating and handling various objects.

A patient with ALS that has been part of the project also participates in the TV feature. He has chosen – despite the severe effects the ALS disease has had on his life and the fact that he is now unable to walk, move, breathe or talk – to help the researchers in their work to improve daily life for future ALS patients.

21 Søndag can be watched by following the link below – the feature about ALS and Jakob Blicher’s research starts at 28:30 minutes into the program.

DR has also produced an Explainer with more facts about ALS and an article in connection to the TV feature.   

Links:

21 Søndag, 26 September 2021 - feature about ALS research starts at 28:30:
https://www.dr.dk/drtv/se/21-soendag_-adidas-danske-chef-har-en-boen-til-kansleren_275962 

Explainer about ALS research on DRs website:
https://www.dr.dk/drtv/episode/explainer_-hvad-er-als_271989

Article from DR website:
https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/lammet-mand-bevaeger-haanden-ved-tankens-kraft

Associate Professor Jakob Blicher, head of the CFIN research group Plasticity and Disease has for several years worked on the research project REMAP - a project that aims at developing and implementing wearable robotic equipment  and a brain computer interface (BCI) to assist patients with the progressive neurodegenerative disease ALS. Via recordings of the patient’s brain activity by electroencephalography (EEG), the BCI can control the robotic device, with the intention of allowing the patient to perform arm and hand movements such as eating and handling various objects.

REMAP will not only empower ALS patients by allowing them to maintain some activities of daily living, but also improve current state-of-the-art BCI controlled robotic devices in ways that will benefit other patient groups. 

The project is a collaboration between research groups at Aarhus University, Aarhus University Hospital, Aalborg University, the Swedish company Bioservo Technologies and The Danish Rehabilitation Center for Neuromuscular Diseases (RCFM) and is made possible by a donation of DKK 8 million from Innovation Fund Denmark.