Monitoring intent. Electrodes implanted in the parietal reach region tap into neurons that determine the direction in which a monkey is planning to reach.
ILLUSTRATION: CAMERON SLAYDEN/SCIENCE
一項(xiàng)新研究訓(xùn)練了一些猴子來(lái)想一些動(dòng)作但被節(jié)制做這些動(dòng)作,，然后捕獲和解釋這些猴子的大腦信號(hào),，研究人員說(shuō),，這也許有助于制造出更好的為癱瘓病人用的交流和控制裝置。研究人員記錄了來(lái)自猴子頂骨皮層和前運(yùn)動(dòng)皮層中大腦神經(jīng)元的信號(hào),，這些信號(hào)編碼了抓取動(dòng)作的目的,。研究人員破譯了這些信號(hào)，并利用這些信息來(lái)確定計(jì)算機(jī)屏幕上一個(gè)光標(biāo)的位置,。過(guò)去的研究表明,，來(lái)自編碼身體運(yùn)動(dòng)指令的神經(jīng)元的信息可用于控制假器官裝置。這項(xiàng)新研究著眼于利用高水平的大腦信號(hào)來(lái)進(jìn)行假器官控制,。當(dāng)猴子的抽象思維與要求的動(dòng)作一致,、并且它在思考過(guò)程中不行動(dòng)時(shí)，它就會(huì)獲得一個(gè)獎(jiǎng)賞,。在數(shù)周的時(shí)間中,，猴子的能力提高了。
在收集有關(guān)目標(biāo)的信息的同時(shí),，研究人員還記錄了猴子的對(duì)獎(jiǎng)賞的選擇,。當(dāng)猴子知道對(duì)要求動(dòng)作進(jìn)行精確思考會(huì)獲得它喜愛的獎(jiǎng)賞時(shí)，它們的光標(biāo)定位思考會(huì)更精確,。Richard Andersen指出,，癱瘓病人的類似的目標(biāo)和喜好信息也許同樣可以利用。他認(rèn)為,，基于這類研究的未來(lái)技術(shù)能夠讓癱瘓病人的目標(biāo)指導(dǎo)思考和喜好通過(guò)聰明機(jī)器得以實(shí)現(xiàn),。
Cognitive Control Signals for Neural Prosthetics
Recent development of neural prosthetics for assisting paralyzed patients has focused on decoding intended hand trajectories from motor cortical neurons and using this signal to control external devices. In this study, higher level signals related to the goals of movements were decoded from three monkeys and used to position cursors on a computer screen without the animals emitting any behavior. Their performance in this task improved over a period of weeks. Expected value signals related to fluid preference, the expected magnitude, or probability of reward were decoded simultaneously with the intended goal. For neural prosthetic applications, the goal signals can be used to operate computers, robots, and vehicles, whereas the expected value signals can be used to continuously monitor a paralyzed patient's preferences and motivation
