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e while watching the movement in virtual reality, the researchers are now moving on to have the animal see and control the arm directly, without the virtual reality display. Although learning to use the robot as a tool seems to be more difficult for the animal, it has nevertheless learned to use the robot to reach targets held by the investigator.

Jonathan Wolpaw's laboratory at the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health is finding that a non-invasive BCI, using EEG activity recorded from the scalp, can provide rapid multidimensional control of a movement signal with precision and speed comparable to that achieved in monkeys by invasive BCIs. This remarkable control by a non-invasive BCI depends on an adaptive training algorithm that identifies and focuses on the particular EEG features that the person is best able to control, and encourages the person to improve that control further. These initial results suggest that people with severe motor disabilities might use brain signals to operate a robotic arm or a neuroprosthesis without the risks involved in having electrodes implanted in their brains.

Andrea Kuebler, PhD, of the University of Tuebingen in Germany is exploring the complex technical and human issues involved in providing severely disabled people with BCI-driven communication and control devices. Her group has compelling new data indicating that simple BCIs could greatly improve the quality of life of people with the most severe disabilities. These data imply that even people who are totally paralyzed can lead lives they enjoy if they can communicate even to a limited extent with caregivers, family members, and friends. By showing the potential clinical benefits of BCIs, these surprising results provide new incentive for their continued development and application.

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Contact: Dawn McCoy
dawn@sfn.org
202-462-6688
Society for Neuroscience
10-Nov-2003

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