Brain Computer Interface Story

With today’s technology I am almost positive that everyone has seen a heartbreaking story of a paralyzed person being able to express themselves or complete an everyday task with the help of a computer. What exactly helped that person complete that function though? It is called Brain Computer Interfaces, or BCIs for short. “A brain-computer interface links a human brain directly to a computer, where neural signals are interpreted and used to perform tasks such as manipulating a mouse”(pg 1). It is not only paralyzed patients that can benefit from BCIs, in addition blind people can benefit from them as well. This is because instead of gathering information from the brain, the computer send information to the brain, specifically the visual cortex in the case of someone who is blind. There are two types of ways to gather signals out of the brain and have those signals connect to the computer. There are invasive BCIs, which is where electrodes are implanted into the brain; partially-invasive BCIs which is put inside the skull but not the brain; and …show more content…
JR was completely aware of everything around him, however, he could no respond to any of it. After he received his implant he could control a computer and make comments. Dr. Bakay said “Our hope is that soon we will be able to get to the point that we can connect the neural signals to ta muscle stimulator in the patient's paralysed limb and have them move that limb using the same principle that they use to move the cursor”(pg 5). Dr. Bakay explained that they inserted a natural substance that would encourage the nerves in the brain to grow in the motor cortex of JR’s brain. They hope that by doing this the brain will effortlessly be able to connect to the computer and perform the functions that the patient would normally do with the computer’s