Small electrodes placed on or inside the brain allow
patients to interact with computers or control robotic limbs simply by thinking
about how to execute those actions. This technology could improve communication
and daily life for a person who is paralyzed or has lost the ability to speak
from a stroke or neurodegenerative disease.
Now, University of Washington researchers have demonstrated
that when humans use this technology – called a brain-computer interface – the
brain behaves much like it does when completing simple motor skills such as
kicking a ball, typing or waving a hand. Learning to control a robotic arm or a
prosthetic limb could become second nature for people who are paralyzed.