Brain Computer Interfaces for Spinal Cord Injuries
Author: University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
Published: 2011/02/17 - Updated: 2026/01/15
Publication Type: Informative
Category Topic: Electronics - Software - Related Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This research documents pioneering work from the University of Pittsburgh on brain-computer interfaces designed to restore functional control for people with spinal cord injuries. The studies build on established clinical trials with epilepsy patients and primate models that successfully demonstrated cursor control and robotic arm manipulation. The work is authoritative because it draws from funded research at a major medical institution and represents real-world translation of neuroscience into assistive technology - offering individuals with paralysis a pathway toward regaining independence and control over their environment through direct neural communication - Disabled World (DW).
- Definition: Brain Computer Interface
A brain-computer interface is a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device, typically established through electrodes that detect and interpret neural activity. Rather than relying on conventional muscle movement or peripheral nervous system pathways, a BCI reads electrical signals generated by neurons - either from the brain's surface or deeper structures - and translates those signals through computer algorithms into commands that control external equipment like prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs, or computer cursors. The technology works because the brain's motor cortex generates consistent patterns of neural firing when a person thinks about moving, even if that movement is physically impossible due to injury or disease; by identifying and decoding these patterns, a BCI essentially bypasses the damaged or severed neural pathways that would normally carry movement commands to muscles, giving individuals with paralysis or severe motor impairments a new channel through which to interact with their environment and regain functional control.
Introduction
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have been awarded funding for two projects that will place brain-computer interfaces (BCI) in patients with spinal cord injuries to test if it is possible for them to control external devices, such as a computer cursor or a prosthetic limb, with their thoughts.
Main Content
The projects build upon ongoing research conducted in epilepsy patients who had the interfaces temporarily placed on their brains and were able to move cursors and play computer games, as well as in monkeys that through interfaces guided a robotic arm to feed themselves marshmallows and turn a doorknob.
"We are now ready to begin testing BCI technology in the patients who might benefit from it the most, namely those who have lost the ability to move their upper limbs due to a spinal cord injury," said Michael L. Boninger, M.D., director, UPMC Rehabilitation Institute, chair, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pitt School of Medicine, and a senior scientist on both projects. "It's particularly exciting for us to be able to test two types of interfaces within the brain."
"By expanding our research from the laboratory to clinical settings, we hope to gain a better understanding of how to train and motivate patients who will benefit from BCI technology," said Elizabeth Tyler-Kabara, M.D., Ph.D., a UPMC neurosurgeon and assistant professor of neurological surgery and bioengineering, Pitt Schools of Medicine and Engineering, and the lead surgeon on both projects.
In one project, funded by an $800,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, a BCI based on electrocorticography (ECoG) will be placed on the motor cortex surface of a spinal cord injury patient's brain for up to 29 days. The neural activity picked up by the BCI will be translated through a computer processor, allowing the patient to learn to control computer cursors, virtual hands, computer games, and assistive devices such as a prosthetic hand or a wheelchair.
The second project, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for up to $6 million over three years, is part of a program led by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Laurel, Md. It will further develop technology tested in monkeys by Andrew Schwartz, Ph.D., professor of neurobiology, at Pitt School of Medicine, and also a senior investigator on both projects.
It uses an interface that is a tiny, 10-by-10 array of electrodes that is implanted on the surface of the brain to read activity from individual neurons. Those signals will be processed and relayed to maneuver a sophisticated prosthetic arm.
"Our animal studies have shown that we can interpret the messages the brain sends to make a simple robotic arm reach for an object and turn a mechanical wrist," Dr. Schwartz said. "The next step is to see not only if we can make these techniques work for people, but also if we can make the movements more complex."
In the study, which is expected to begin by late 2011, participants will get two separate electrodes. In future research efforts, the technology may be enhanced with an innovative telemetry system that would allow wireless control of a prosthetic arm, as well as a sensory component.
"Our ultimate aim is to develop technologies that can give patients with physical disabilities control of assistive devices that will help restore their independence," Dr. Boninger said.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: As brain-computer interface technology matures from laboratory benchmarks to clinical implementation, the implications extend far beyond spinal cord injury applications. These advances demonstrate that the boundary between neurological limitation and technological possibility continues to narrow, suggesting that future generations may view current mobility aids as we now view older prosthetics - effective but primitive. The real measure of success won't be how well these interfaces work in controlled settings, but whether they can seamlessly integrate into the daily lives of those who need them most, transforming what once seemed like science fiction into routine medical care - Disabled World (DW).Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences and published on 2011/02/17, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.