National First: Non-Invasive Brain-Computer Interface Helps Brain Tumor Patient Walk Independently Within One Month After Surgery

In the neurorehabilitation department of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 36-year-old Ms. Hu sat in a chair with electrodes placed on her scalp. After brain surgery to remove a meningioma, she had lost strength on the left side of her body. But within weeks of using a non-invasive brain-computer interface system for rehabilitation training, she achieved what once seemed distant: walking independently and climbing stairs without assistance.

Ms. Hu's recovery, completed in less than one month, marks China's first successful case of a non-invasive brain-computer interface helping a brain tumor patient achieve rapid post-surgical rehabilitation.

The system, called "HanNao · ZhiXing," was developed by Wuhan Yiruide Medical Treatment Equipment New Technology Co., Ltd., a company founded in 2007 and based in Optics Valley Bio-City in Wuhan. Unlike traditional rehabilitation methods that rely on passive movement and peripheral nerve stimulation, the brain-computer interface allows patients to see real-time feedback on how their brain and muscles coordinate during movement.

The difference is significant. According to reports, the system has cut rehabilitation time by more than half compared to conventional approaches.

The need for such technology in China is enormous. Every year, millions of patients suffering from strokes, brain tumors, and spinal cord injuries face motor dysfunction. Traditional rehabilitation has long depended on what clinicians call "peripheral intervention" — passive exercises and electrical stimulation applied to muscles rather than direct engagement with the brain's motor pathways.

At Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, the "HanNao · ZhiXing" system has been used in nearly 10 treatment cases so far, primarily targeting patients with hemiplegia, spinal cord injuries, and post-surgical neurological rehabilitation. According to hospital reports, all cases have achieved unexpected rehabilitation outcomes.

For Ms. Hu, the results speak for themselves. A month ago, she could not walk unassisted. Today, she moves independently — a milestone that underscores the potential of brain-computer interface technology to reshape rehabilitation medicine in China.