A new research finding contributes to the development of neuroprosthetics (assistive devices that supplant or supplement the input and output of the nervous system) by revealing the need to close a performance gap between artificial and natural touch.

A new paper by CNT Co-Director, Rajesh Rao, proposes an innovative conceptual framework based on artificial neural networks for bi-directional brain-computer interfaces (BBCIs). This new way of thinking about BBCI development points a viable way toward moving neural devices out of the laboratory and into real-world settings.

Jessica Owen, who has a spinal cord injury, discovered that gradual functional improvements she gained through her participation in a new CNT research study added up to a big difference in her quality of life and increased independence.

This new probe is capable of electrically stimulating and recording from neurons in the brain while simultaneously detecting dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.