Objective: Present day cortical brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) have made impressive advances using decoded brain signals to control extracorporeal devices. Although BMIs are used in a closed-loop fashion, sensory feedback typically is visual only. However medical case studies have shown that the loss of somesthesis in a limb greatly reduces the agility of the limb even when visual feedback is available.

Approach: To overcome this limitation, this study tested a closed-loop BMI that utilizes intracortical microstimulation to provide 'tactile' sensation to a non-human primate.

Main Result: Using stimulation electrodes in Brodmann area 1 of somatosensory cortex (BA1) and recording electrodes in the anterior intraparietal area, the parietal reach region and dorsal area 5 (area 5d), it was found that this form of feedback can be used in BMI tasks.

Significance: Providing somatosensory feedback has the poyential to greatly improve the performance of cognitive neuroprostheses especially for fine control and object manipulation. Adding stimulation to a BMI system could therefore improve the quality of life for severely paralyzed patients.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4410973PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1741-2560/11/5/056024DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

somatosensory feedback
8
feedback
5
cognitive neuroprosthetic
4
neuroprosthetic cortical
4
cortical stimulation
4
stimulation somatosensory
4
feedback objective
4
objective day
4
day cortical
4
cortical brain-machine
4

Similar Publications

Background: The goal of this study was to examine the effects of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) on muscle activity during walking after lower-limb amputation. Amputation results in a loss of sensory feedback and alterations in gait biomechanics, including co-contractions of antagonist muscles about the knee and ankle, and reduced pelvic obliquity range-of-motion and pelvic drop. SCS can restore sensation in the missing limb, but its effects on muscle activation and gait biomechanics have not been studied in people with lower-limb amputation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Over 50% of individuals with lower limb loss report a fear of falling and avoiding daily activities partly due to a lack of plantar sensation. Providing direct somatosensory feedback via neural stimulation holds promise for addressing this issue. In this study, three individuals with lower limb loss received a sensory neuroprosthesis (SNP) that provided plantar somatosensory feedback corresponding to prosthesis-floor interactions perceived as arising from the missing foot generated by electrically activating the peripheral nerves in the residuum.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Animals requiring purposeful movement for survival are endowed with mechanoreceptors, called proprioceptors, that provide essential sensory feedback from muscles and joints to spinal cord circuits, which modulates motor output. Despite the essential nature of proprioceptive signaling in daily life, the mechanisms governing proprioceptor activity are poorly understood. Here, we identified nonredundant roles for two voltage-gated sodium channels (Nas), Na1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Previous research has demonstrated that postural stability may be improved by increasing stimulation to the somatosensory system. Wearing lower limb compression garments or textured in-soles have been found to be effective short-term methods for improving postural stability, hypothesized to be due to enhanced tactile feedback. The aim of this study was to assess whether a combined compression-tactile sock increases postural stability in healthy adults, compared to barefoot.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) is essential for ensuring patient safety during scoliosis surgery by monitoring spinal cord and nerve function through motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), with anesthesia type affecting the accuracy of these signals.
  • A systematic review was carried out, analyzing studies from major medical databases, which evaluated the impact of various anesthetic techniques on neuromonitoring during scoliosis procedures, narrowing down from 998 articles to 45 for detailed analysis.
  • The findings suggest that the Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) offers significant advantages over traditional spinal and epidural anesthesia by improving neuromonitoring accuracy, reducing complications, and providing effective pain management, leading to better patient outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!