Prosthetics Operated by Brain Activity Move a Step Closer to Reality
From: Wall Street Journal - 07/09/2004 - P. B1
By: Sharon Begley

A long-sought goal of neuroscientific research is the development of a
"neural prosthetic" that will enable paralyzed people to control artificial
limbs by thought through a series of electrodes implanted into their motor
cortex. However, this process involves patients laboriously thinking
step-by-step instructions to move the prostheses, and California Institute of
Technology researchers led by Richard Andersen believe they have found a
smoother, less cumbersome technique by implanting electrodes into the
"parietal reach region" in order to access higher-level thoughts. Experiments
with three monkeys trained to wait for the appearance of a green spot on a
video screen and reach for it showed that the electrodes could pick up their
sense of anticipation with intent to reach. Using such cues to operate
mechanical limbs offers patients a much more natural mechanism for thought
control, and Duke University neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis believes that
"Sampling from multiple areas of the brain is more likely to be reliable and
accurate, and to restore the motor function of paralyzed patients." Andersen
says the experiments suggest that patients' moods and motivation, as well as
their objectives, could be monitored, while fellow Caltech researcher Sam
Musallam postulates that a more natural way to convert thought into speech
could be accomplished by tapping signals produced in the brain's language
centers. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the clinical
trial of Cyberkinetics' BrainGate device, which translates premotor cortex
signals into movements of a wireless pen on a digital keypad via implanted
electrodes.  

---

Implanting Hope
From: Technology Review - 03/2005 - Vol. 108, No. 3, P. 48
By: David Ewing Duncan

Excitement is brewing over the potential use of implantable brain-computer
interfaces (BCIs) to increase the mobility and independence of paralytics and
other movement-impaired patients, although the technology is in a very early
stage of development. One of the most notable inventions in this area is
Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems' Braingate Neural Interface System, a
chip that is planted under the skull so that its electrodes pick up neuronal
impulses; the chip is wired to a computer that reads and translates the
impulses into commands for moving an onscreen cursor or a prosthetic hand.
Other experiments in this field have focused on BCIs implanted in primates so
they can remotely control artificial limbs and cursors by thought, but
Braingate has moved on to human trials. Brown University neuroscience
professor and Cyberkinetics co-founder John Donoghue reasons that neural
prosthetic research may ultimately enable the disabled to walk, and fellow
neuroscientists say the time is right for human BCI research; Richard
Andersen of Caltech is particularly impressed by Donoghue's work, because it
proves that human motor neurons still function normally even after long-term
paralysis. Duke University neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis has reservations
about Braingate, claiming that Cyberkinetics appears to be more interested in
commercializing and promoting the product than in maximizing its benefits to
patients. Cyberkinetics CEO Timothy Surgenor says Braingate's marketability
hinges on making the device dramatically less bulky, wireless, and automated.
Electrical engineer, physicist, and Braingate team member Arto Numikko
expects the next-generation Braingate to support two-way communication
between the brain and the device. Scientists such as University of Chicago
assistant neuroanatomy professor Nicholas Hatsopolous believe advancements in
BCI technology will yield new insights into higher-brain functions. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/05/03/issue/feature_implant.asp