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Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) have revolutionized medicine in multiple ways. They add to improved movement restoration, communication, and quality of life for patients with neurological disorders.
Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) have revolutionized medicine in multiple ways. They add to improved movement restoration, communication, and quality of life for patients with neurological disorders.
HOW DO THEY HELP PATIENTS
HOW DO THEY HELP PATIENTS
- RESTOTING MOVEMENT FOR PARALYZED PATIENTS
Those with injuries to their spinal cord or suffering from a neurological disorder such as a stroke may lose the mobility of their limbs. However, BCIs enable such individuals to regain muscle control or use thought alone to operate robotic appendages.
HOW IT WORKS:-
Electrodes are placed in the brain and are capable of detecting motor signals.
Command and control signals for robotic arms and other devices like electrical muscle stimulators are generated by a BCI that interprets the signals.
This helps even paralyzed patients to perform actions like grasping objects or moving with an exoskeleton device.
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At the Battelle Memorial Institute, a paralyzed patient from shoulders down was able to control a BCI powered system that allowed him to move his hand. The system used a form of electromyography and noninvasive brain stimulation to monitor his brain activity and activate the appropriate muscles to produce movement.
2. THOUGHT-BASED COMMUNICATION FOR LOCKED-IN PATIENTS
2. THOUGHT-BASED COMMUNICATION FOR LOCKED-IN PATIENTS
ALS, brainstem stroke, and late-stage neurodegenerative illnesses can lead to "locked-in syndrome," with patients being aware but paralyzed and unable to talk. BCIs offer a revolutionary remedy by allowing them to communicate via brain signals.
HOW IT WORKS:-
BCIs capture brain activity through EEG headsets or implanted electrodes.
AI-based software converts thoughts into digital text or speech.
Patients are able to spell out messages, move a cursor, or even pick out phrases from their brain signals.
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An entirely locked-in ALS patient employed a brain implant to type sentences one character per second. This advancement, described in a 2022 Nature Communications study, enabled the patient to communicate once again with caregivers and loved ones.
3. NEUROPROSTHETICS
3. NEUROPROSTHETICS
BCIs allow amputees to use their thoughts to control sophisticated robotic prosthetic limbs. Apart from facilitating movement, certain BCIs can also offer sensory feedback, enabling the user to "feel" objects with their prosthetics.
HOW IT WORKS:-
Implanted or non-invasive BCIs are used to record movement-related brain signals.
The signals are decoded and converted into motor commands by a computer.
To replicate touch sensations, sensory input from the prosthetic is transmitted back to the brain.
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A double-arm prosthesis controlled by a brain-computer interface was created by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Through the integration of neural feedback, an amputee was able to operate both robotic arms simultaneously and even feel touch.
4. BCI BASED SEIZURE MONITORING FOR EPILEPSY PATIENTS
4. BCI BASED SEIZURE MONITORING FOR EPILEPSY PATIENTS
BCIs can spot unusual brain activity and forecast seizures before they happen. This gives patients key warnings and can even stop seizures through neuro-stimulation.
HOW IT WORKS:-
BCIs watch brain activity in real-time to spot odd electrical patterns.
AI-based systems predict when a seizure will start.
Some BCIs send electrical pulses to interrupt the seizure before it begins.
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The NeuroPace RNS System has been implanted in thousands of epilepsy patients around the world. Studies showed that this brain-responsive device could cut seizures by over 50% for many people making their lives much better.
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