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Neuronal ensemble control of prosthetic devices by a human with tetraplegia

Nature volume 442, pages 164–171 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Neuromotor prostheses (NMPs) aim to replace or restore lost motor functions in paralysed humans by routeing movement-related signals from the brain, around damaged parts of the nervous system, to external effectors. To translate preclinical results from intact animals to a clinically useful NMP, movement signals must persist in cortex after spinal cord injury and be engaged by movement intent when sensory inputs and limb movement are long absent. Furthermore, NMPs would require that intention-driven neuronal activity be converted into a control signal that enables useful tasks. Here we show initial results for a tetraplegic human (MN) using a pilot NMP. Neuronal ensemble activity recorded through a 96-microelectrode array implanted in primary motor cortex demonstrated that intended hand motion modulates cortical spiking patterns three years after spinal cord injury. Decoders were created, providing a ‘neural cursor’ with which MN opened simulated e-mail and operated devices such as a television, even while conversing. Furthermore, MN used neural control to open and close a prosthetic hand, and perform rudimentary actions with a multi-jointed robotic arm. These early results suggest that NMPs based upon intracortical neuronal ensemble spiking activity could provide a valuable new neurotechnology to restore independence for humans with paralysis.

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Figure 1: Intracortical sensor and placement, participant 1.
Figure 2: Electrical recordings from a sample of four electrodes.
Figure 3: Neuronal selectivity for imagined and performed movements.
Figure 4: Directional tuning during centre-out task.
Figure 5: Reconstruction of neural cursor position during pursuit tracking.
Figure 6: Centre-out task performance.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank J. Joseph and D. Morris for assistance; L. Mermel for clinical planning advice; V. Zerris and M. Park for surgical assistance; G. Polykoff for clinical trial assistance; W. Truccolo for power spectral density analysis development; and the employees of Cyberkinetics for device engineering, manufacturing and clinical trial design and management. The authors also thank MN for his participation in this trial, and the nursing staff at his assisted care facility for their assistance. The authors are grateful to M. Serra and Sargent Rehabilitation Center, the study site, for administrative support. The photograph of MN (Fig. 1) is copyright 2005 Rick Friedman. This work was supported by Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems, Inc.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Maryam Saleh

    Present address: Graduate Program in Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 55 Fruit Street, Massachusetts, 02114, USA

    Leigh R. Hochberg

  2. Department of Neuroscience and Brain Science Program,

    Leigh R. Hochberg, Mijail D. Serruya & John P. Donoghue

  3. Department of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, PO Box 1953, Rhode Island, 02912, USA

    Mijail D. Serruya

  4. Center for Restorative and Regenerative Medicine, Rehabilitation Research and Development Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Providence, 830 Chalkstone Avenue, Rhode Island, 02908, USA

    Leigh R. Hochberg

  5. Department of Clinical Neurosciences (Neurosurgery), Brown University,

    Gerhard M. Friehs

  6. Department of Neurosurgery, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, 120 Dudley Street, Suite 103, Rhode Island, 02905, USA

    Gerhard M. Friehs

  7. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Brown University, Providence, 593 Eddy Street, Rhode Island, 02903, USA

    Jon A. Mukand

  8. Sargent Rehabilitation Center, Warwick, 800 Quaker Lane, Rhode Island, 02818, USA

    Jon A. Mukand

  9. Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems, Inc., Foxborough, 100 Foxborough Boulevard–Suite 240, Massachusetts, 02035, USA

    Maryam Saleh, Abraham H. Caplan & John P. Donoghue

  10. Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems, Inc., Salt Lake City, 391 Chipeta Way, Suite G, Utah, 84108, USA

    Almut Branner

  11. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 345 E. Superior Street, 1146, Illinois, 60611, Chicago, USA

    David Chen

  12. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Chicago Hospitals, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC3026, Illinois, 60637, Chicago, USA

    Richard D. Penn

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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John P. Donoghue.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

L.R.H.: Clinical trial support, Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems (CKI); G.M.F.: stock holdings, consultant, CKI; J.A.M.: principal investigator, consultant, CKI; M.D.S.: salary, consultant, stock holdings, CKI; M.S.: salary, stock options, CKI; A.H.C.: salary, stock options, stock holdings, CKI; A.B.: salary, stock options, CKI; D.C.: clinical trial support, CKI; R.D.P.: clinical trial support, CKI; J.P.D.: Chief Scientific Officer, compensation, stock holdings, director, CKI.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Notes

This file contains Supplementary Figures 1 and 2 and legends, Supplementary Methods and Results, Supplementary Discussion, Supplementary Video Legends and Supplementary References. The two figures illustrate neuronal selectivity for imagined and performed movements, and center-out task performance with an alternate post-hoc control. Also reported is additional information regarding signal quality and variety; MI activity during neural cursor control; center-out task; grid task; summary of neurophysiologic findings; comparison with previous work; video legends. (PDF 176 kb)

Supplementary Video 1

Center-Out task. (MOV 3821 kb)

Supplementary Video 2

Video showing use of a computer interface with the neural cursor. (MOV 1645 kb)

Supplementary Video 3

Neurally-controlled television. (MOV 1608 kb)

Supplementary Video 4

Neural "Pong". (MOV 2978 kb)

Supplementary Video 5

Neural "HeMan" game. (MOV 2888 kb)

Supplementary Video 6

Direct neural control of a prosthetic hand. MN was initially instructed to move a neural cursor "up" to open the hand, and "down" to close the hand. (MOV 2330 kb)

Supplementary Video 7

Transport of an object from one location to another via direct neural control of a multi-articulated robot arm. (MOV 1745 kb)

Supplementary Video 8

Trial Participant #2 performing Center-Out task. (MOV 7551 kb)

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Hochberg, L., Serruya, M., Friehs, G. et al. Neuronal ensemble control of prosthetic devices by a human with tetraplegia. Nature 442, 164–171 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04970

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