Also: BCI, Utah array, neural dust, neuroprosthetics, Neuralink, Synchron, Stentrode, speech neuroprosthesis
Brain-computer interfaces read signals from the brain to control computers or robotic limbs. Many human studies use the Utah array, a tiny bed of silicon needles.
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Maynard, Nordhausen and Normann described the Utah intracortical array as a recording structure for brain-computer interfaces.
Built / tested: Utah array
As reported in: Maynard, Nordhausen, Normann (1997). The Utah Intracortical Electrode Array: A recording structure for potential brain-computer interfaces. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology. doi:10.1016/S0013-4694(96)95176-0
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Hochberg and colleagues reported a man with paralysis controlling a computer cursor and devices with an implanted array.
Built / tested: BrainGate
As reported in: Hochberg, Serruya, Friehs et al. (2006). Neuronal ensemble control of prosthetic devices by a human with tetraplegia. Nature. doi:10.1038/nature04970
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Hochberg and colleagues showed people with tetraplegia reaching and grasping with a robotic arm controlled by brain signals.
As reported in: Hochberg, Bacher, Jarosiewicz et al. (2012). Reach and grasp by people with tetraplegia using a neurally controlled robotic arm. Nature. doi:10.1038/nature11076
Collinger and colleagues reported smooth multi-direction control of a prosthetic arm by a woman with tetraplegia.
As reported in: Collinger, Wodlinger, Downey et al. (2013). High-performance neuroprosthetic control by an individual with tetraplegia. The Lancet. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61816-9
Willett and colleagues decoded imagined handwriting into text at about 90 characters per minute.
As reported in: Willett, Avansino, Hochberg et al. (2021). High-performance brain-to-text communication via handwriting. Nature. doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03506-2
Willett and colleagues decoded attempted speech from intracortical arrays in a person with ALS at 62 words per minute, with a 9.1% word error rate on a 50-word vocabulary and 23.8% on a 125,000-word vocabulary.
As reported in: Willett, Kunz, Fan et al. (2023). A high-performance speech neuroprosthesis. Nature. doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06377-x
Metzger and colleagues decoded brain surface recordings from a woman with severe paralysis into text (median 78 words per minute, 25% word error rate), synthesized speech in her pre-injury voice, and a facial avatar.
Publisher update notice: correction
As reported in: Metzger, Littlejohn, Silva et al. (2023). A high-performance neuroprosthesis for speech decoding and avatar control. Nature. doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06443-4
Lorach and colleagues linked brain implants to spinal cord stimulation so a man with chronic tetraplegia could stand, walk and climb stairs; it stayed reliable for a year, and he could walk with crutches even with it switched off.
As reported in: Lorach, Galvez, Spagnolo et al. (2023). Walking naturally after spinal cord injury using a brain–spine interface. Nature. doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06094-5
Oxley and colleagues implanted the Synchron Stentrode through a vein into the brain's superior sagittal sinus in two people with ALS, who used it at home with an eye tracker to type and control Windows; one reached 92.63% click accuracy.
Built / tested: Stentrode
As reported in: Oxley, Yoo, Rind et al. (2020). Motor neuroprosthesis implanted with neurointerventional surgery improves capacity for activities of daily living tasks in severe paralysis: first in-human experience. Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery. doi:10.1136/neurintsurg-2020-016862
Rubin and colleagues reported 14 BrainGate participants implanted 2004–2021 with 12,203 days of combined experience; there were 68 device-related adverse events, including 6 serious ones.
Built / tested: BrainGate
As reported in: Rubin, Ajiboye, Barefoot et al. (2023). Interim Safety Profile From the Feasibility Study of the BrainGate Neural Interface System. Neurology. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000201707
In a white paper, Musk and Neuralink described flexible electrode threads with up to 3,072 electrodes per array, a robot that inserts six threads per minute, and up to 70% spiking yield in chronically implanted electrodes.
Built / tested: Neuralink
As reported in: Musk, (2019). An Integrated Brain-Machine Interface Platform With Thousands of Channels. Journal of Medical Internet Research. doi:10.2196/16194
Seo and colleagues recorded nerve signals in rats with tiny wireless sensors powered by ultrasound.
Built / tested: neural dust
As reported in: Seo, Neely, Shen et al. (2016). Wireless Recording in the Peripheral Nervous System with Ultrasonic Neural Dust. Neuron. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2016.06.034