Design Specifications of Brain-Controlled Neuroprostheses

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal seeks sponsorship for a 2 day workshop that will pull together experts from a range of disciplines to develop consensus design specifications for brain controlled rehabilitation systems such as functional electrical stimulation (FES)-based neuroprostheses for restoring upper extremity movement control to individuals with neurological disorders such as cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) and stroke. The goals of the workshop are to identify scientific and technological challenges that hinder the use of brain-machine interfaces (BMI) in clinically deployed rehabilitation systems and to suggest future research activities that would address these challenges. We will bring together experts from several different research areas (both natural and artificial control systems, neuroscience related to BMI, implanted BMI devices, and clinical applications) that may not typically interact but whose skills and insight are needed to develop an integrated approach to clinically relevant BMI's. The proposed workshop will include brief presentations by acknowledged experts in the various research areas and ample discussion on the individual topics presented by these experts. Workshop participants will be divided into five different Task Groups to identify challenges and suggest approaches in different areas: (1) Peripheral motor control considerations, (2) Sources and properties of available BMI signals, (3) Extraction of relevant movement control information from BMI signals, (4) Practical BMI devices, and (5) Clinical applications of BMI. The Task Groups will be asked to identify strategic research areas for moving BMI's into incrementally more sophisticated clinical applications over the next 1, 5, and 10 years. A summary report of these discussions and recommendations will be provided to NINDS following the meeting and published in an appropriate journal. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This proposal seeks sponsorship for a 2 day workshop that will pull together experts from a range of disciplines to develop consensus design specifications for brain controlled rehabilitation systems. The goals are to identify scientific and technological challenges that hinder the use of brain-machine interfaces (BMI) in clinically-deployed rehabilitation systems and to suggest future research activities that would address these challenges. A summary report of these discussions and recommendations will be provided to NINDS following the meeting and published in an appropriate journal. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]