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
一項新研究訓練了一些猴子來想一些動作但被節(jié)制做這些動作，然后捕獲和解釋這些猴子的大腦信號,，研究人員說,，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。研究人員記錄了來自猴子頂骨皮層和前運動皮層中大腦神經(jīng)元的信號,，這些信號編碼了抓取動作的目的,。研究人員破譯了這些信號，并利用這些信息來確定計算機屏幕上一個光標的位置,。過去的研究表明,，來自編碼身體運動指令的神經(jīng)元的信息可用于控制假器官裝置。這項新研究著眼于利用高水平的大腦信號來進行假器官控制,。當猴子的抽象思維與要求的動作一致,、并且它在思考過程中不行動時，它就會獲得一個獎賞,。在數(shù)周的時間中,，猴子的能力提高了。
在收集有關目標的信息的同時,，研究人員還記錄了猴子的對獎賞的選擇,。當猴子知道對要求動作進行精確思考會獲得它喜愛的獎賞時，它們的光標定位思考會更精確,。Richard Andersen指出,，癱瘓病人的類似的目標和喜好信息也許同樣可以利用。他認為,，基于這類研究的未來技術能夠讓癱瘓病人的目標指導思考和喜好通過聰明機器得以實現(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
