Paper Information - Brain-machine interface: Instant neural control of a movement signal

Brain-machine interface: Instant neural control of a movement signal

The activity of motor cortex (MI) neurons conveys movement intent sufficiently well to be used as a control signal to operate artificial devices, but until now this has called for extensive training or has been confined to a limited movement repertoire. Here we show how activity from a few (7–30) MI neurons can be decoded into a signal that a monkey is able to use immediately to move a computer cursor to any new position in its workspace (14° × 14° visual angle). Our results, which are based on recordings made by an electrode array that is suitable for human use, indicate that neurally based control of movement may eventually be feasible in paralysed humans.

[1] P. Kennedy,et al. Restoration of neural output from a paralyzed patient by a direct brain connection , 1998, Neuroreport.

[2] J. Donoghue,et al. Neuronal Interactions Improve Cortical Population Coding of Movement Direction , 1999, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[3] R A Normann,et al. The Utah intracortical Electrode Array: a recording structure for potential brain-computer interfaces. , 1997, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[4] Christopher R. Stambaugh,et al. Real-time prediction of hand trajectory by ensembles of cortical neurons in primates , 2000, Nature.

[5] Miguel A. L. Nicolelis,et al. Real-time control of a robot arm using simultaneously recorded neurons in the motor cortex , 1999, Nature Neuroscience.