Neuroprostheses: Implications of the current and future state of the science and technology

Neuroprosthetics is a science of neural prostheses. Neural prostheses can be dešned as devices that are yoked or implanted in the peripheral or central nervous system to restore or improve neural function (Segen 2005). Neuroprosthetics thus represents that enterprise that is dedicated to neural-machine interfaces. A neural prosthesis can be used to stimulate or record activity from neural tissues. For example, cochlear, subthalamic, or subdural implants can be classišed as stimulating neuroprostheses, whereas some subdural and intracortical microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are also used as recording neuroprostheses. Although some interfaces can work as both a stimulating and recording device, at present, most clinical employment of neuroprostheses are limited to single use (i.e., stimulating or recording) applications. There has been considerable enthusiasm in the scientišc community and health care sector regarding the current and potential future uses of neuroprosthetics, as evidenced by an almost linear increase in the number of publications in scientišc journals for the 10-year period of 2000-2010 (see Chapter 1, this volume).

Duke Scholars

Author Pratik Yashvant Chhatbar Neurology, Stroke and Vascular Neurology