Johnny Mnemonic Alpha

Researchers at the University of Washington are developing an implantable electronic chip that has the capability to establish new nerve connections in the part of the brain that controls movement. The results of their latest study will be published sometime in Nov 06.

Strengthening of weak connections through this chip may have the potential in the rehabilitation of patients with brain injuries, stroke, or paralysis.

The brain governs the body’s voluntary movements through the activity of nerve cells in the motor cortex part of the brain. These nerve cells are known as neurons, which send signals down to the spinal cord to control the contraction of certain muscles, like those in the arms and legs.

The possibility that these neural signals can be recorded directly and used to operate a computer or to control mechanical devices outside the body has been driving the field of brain computer interfaces, often abbreviated BCI.