BrainGate: An Intracortical Brain-Computer Interface for the Restoration of Communication and Functional Independence for People with Paralysis

Intracortical brain computer interfaces (iBCIs) have the potential to restore and maintain communication, mobility, and functional independence for people living with paralysis due to neurologic disease or injury. The BrainGate Neural Interface System utilizes one to four microelectrode arrays chronically implanted in motor cortex to acquire the neural signals associated with intended movement. A real-time decoding system processes these signals, allowing the user to control a computer or other assistive device by attempting to or thinking about moving. Participants in the ongoing BrainGate2 clinical trial have been able to control a personal computer, robotic limb, and even their own paralyzed extremity through pairing with functional electrical stimulation. The BrainGate system has enabled increasingly facile communication through highly accurate decoding of point and click cursor control and intended handwriting. Ongoing research is focused on improving communication rates by decoding intended speech and optimizing mobility through the control of wearable robotic technology.