Review 24:The brain-reading devices helping paralysed people to move, talk and touch

The brain-reading devices helping paralysed people to move, talk and touch by Liam Drew.

• Brain-computer interface clinical trials for paralysis where the patient uses thoughts to operate a computer application moving a robotic arm.
• James Johnson, a volunteer for the new neurotech, reports that he can move a mouse on a screen using BCI.
• Johnson is 1 of 35 individuals who have had a BCI implanted.
  • This number seems surprisingly low. I wouldn’t expect more than 1000 though.
• Black Rock Neurotech in Salt Lake City, Utah produces a lot of these devices.
• 2006 Landmark paper where Dr. Leigh Hochberg et al. teach a man to move a cursor using robotic arms and was the first of a multicenter set of trials called BrainGate which continues today.
• Requires decoding algorithms to match neural data to actions.
• A major goal is to restore motor independence in people who have lost ability in moving their limbs.
• Bypass central nervous system by directly stimulating muscles responsible for movement.
• Decoding algorithm improves and patient capacity to interface with the machine improves as well.
• Richard Anderson leading clinical trials at caltech.
• A focus of this research is stabilizing the movements.
• Dr. Edward Chang works on restoring the ability to communicate at UCSF using BCI.
• 40 characters a minute by Shenoy et al. in cursor benchmark.
• Turning thoughts into type which uses pattern analysis.
• Chang lab uses sensors planted on the surface of the brain which have a lower resolution but a non-invasive.
• All BCI companies are aiming to increase bandwidth of communication signals.
• There is still a long way to go with the technology.
• Major limitations right now are how long the device will last, how well it will adapt to each user, and if the device will still be supported or used later on down the road.