ABSTRACT
Successfully interfacing the CNS with external electronics holds great potential in improving the quality of life for patients with sensory and motor dysfunctions. The impact is already evident in the profound clinical applications of cochlear implants and deep brain stimulations [1,2]. More recently, the use of an invasive electronic brain implant, also known as a neuromotor prosthesis, to help a patient paralyzed by a tetraplegic spinal cord injury has been reported [3]. In the study, a 96-electrode array was implanted into the patient’s motor cortex to establish a brain-computer interface, where the patient could move a cursor to issue different instructions by thoughts of such motions. Clearly, it adds credibility to the enormous benefits that the interface technology could bring as a potential new therapy to restore independence for those severely disabled patients. Additionally, this interface technology may have significant implications for fundamental studies in neuroscience to understand normal physiology, pathology, or treatment of disorders such as epilepsy.
