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Controlling a computer with your MIND: Paralysed patients move on-screen cursor using just their brain waves

In 2011, a woman used BrainGate to move a robotic arm using thoughts
Researchers have been working on improving the technology ever since
In recent trials, two paralysed people moved a cursor using mind control
The technology was found to be twice as fast as the trials in 2011

Published: 06:32 EST, 30 September 2015 | Updated: 07:17 EST, 30 September 2015

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The dream of being able to control objects using just our minds has taken a step closer to reality after scientists released the latest results of their BrainGate trials.

In two separate tests, patients with Lou Gehrig's disease used the technology to move a computer cursor from one place on a screen to another simply by thinking about it.

They also managed to perform this task twice as fast as previous attempts made using the same system back in 2011.

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In two separate tests, patients with Lou Gehrig's disease used the BrainGate technology to move a computer cursor from one place on the screen to another simply by thinking about it. They managed to perform this task twice as fast as previous attempts made using the same system back in 2011

BrainGate is based on technology to 'sense, transmit, analyse, and apply the language of neurons', explained the researchers from Brown University.

It uses sensors implanted on the motor cortex of the brain - the part of the brain responsible for body movement - with a device that analyses and translates brain signals.

A total of 96 tiny electrodes pick up the signals from nearby neurons in the brain and send them to a computer that translates them into action.

The principle behind the system is that with intact brain functionality, brain signals are generated even though they are not sent to the arms, hands, and legs.

WHAT IS BRAINGATE?

BrainGate is based on technology to sense, transmit, analyse, and apply the language of neurons.

It consists of a sensor that is implanted on the motor cortex of the brain and a device that analyses brain signals.

The principle behind the BrainGate system is that with intact brain functionality, brain signals are generated even though they are not sent to the arms, hands, and legs.

With BrainGate, the signals are interpreted and translated into cursor movements, offering the user an alternate 'BrainGate Pathway' to control a computer with thought, just as individuals who have the ability to move their hands use a mouse.

In particular, the system is designed to restore functionality for a limited, immobile group of severely motor-impaired individuals.

It is expected that people using the BrainGate system will employ a personal computer as the gateway to a range of self-directed activities.

These activities may extend beyond typical computer functions (e.g., communication) to include the control of objects in the environment such as a telephone, a television, lights, and even a wheelchair.

By translating these signals into movements, it offers the user an alternate 'BrainGate Pathway' to control a computer with thought, rather than needing to use a mouse with their hands.

The current research built on a clinical trial that took place in 2011 during which a woman called Cathy Hutchinson used her thoughts to operate a robotic arm to bring a flask of coffee to her lips.

In the latest trials, researchers observed how well and how fast two paralysed people - a man and woman in their 50s, both with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - could use their minds to guide an arrow-shaped cursor onto a target on a computer screen.

The team compared the pair's performance with previous attempts, including how well Ms Hutchinson performed in the same cursor tests back in 2011.

The results showed the duo were able to move the cursor from one point on the screen to another twice as fast as before.

This was made possible using a range of improvements, including filtering out electrical interference that can weaken signals from the brain.

The team also experimented with asking the participants to consider different ways of thinking about moving the cursor in order to find which worked best.

'The current work is a step towards one of our ultimate goals, which is to provide point-and-click control of any computer system whenever the user desires,' said study co-author Jaimie Henderson, from Stanford University.

The current research built on a clinical trial that took place in 2011 during which a woman called Cathy Hutchinson used her thoughts to operate a robotic arm (pictured). The latest study compared the pair's performance with previous attempts to show the technology is now twice as fast

BrainGate is based on technology to 'sense, transmit, analyse, and apply the language of neurons', explained the researchers. It uses sensors implanted on the motor cortex of the brain - the part of the brain responsible for body movement - with a device that analyses and translates brain signals (illustrated)

The study is a collaboration between Brown University, Massachusetts General Hospital and the US Department of Veterans Affairs as well as Stanford University and Case Western Reserve University.

Improving the speed and accuracy of mind-controlled prostheses is crucial to taking them from lab experiments to helping quadriplegics regain independence.

However, the technology is still a 'way off' from being used in this way and the scientists said much more research is needed before widespread use will be possible.