Mind over Matter
From: Newsweek Next Frontiers 
By: Eric Pape

Sever your spinal cord and you lose control of your arms and legs. But what
if the brain could bypass the spine altogether? Researchers are already
working on a "mind chip" that might transmit brain signals directly to the
limbs. 

In neuroscientist John Donahue's lab at Brown University, Matthew Nagle,
paralyzed from the neck down in a stabbing four years ago, had a tiny silicon
sensor implanted in his brain's motor region. The chip sent signals from
Nagle's neurons to a computer; Nagle was able to direct the on-screen cursor
to send e-mail, draw a circle and even play Pong. More significantly, he
could open and close a robotic hand. 

Donahue envisions similar chips' controlling not just prosthetics but actual
paralyzed arms and legs. There's a long way to go. For starters, he must make
the technology port-able (currently it fills his lab) and find a way to
implant the chip without extensive surgery. But for people suffering from
spinal-cord injuries, the tiny chip could change lives. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9557716/site/newsweek/

Contributed by Jamie Prioli