Spinal Cord Computer Interface

描述（由申请人提供）：创伤或疾病导致脊髓损伤后，损伤点远端的骨骼肌由于神经传导中断而瘫痪。在高位脊髓损伤（四肢瘫痪）中，非常需要一种方法，可以替代自主控制，以实现自我移动，计算机访问或环境控制。 目前的解决方案：“脑机接口”已经被开发出来，从运动皮层提取这种意志控制信息。皮层信号记录与微电极/微线阵列植入和解释与先进的信号处理算法？短来： 然而，仍然有两个主要问题需要解决，这是固有的皮质方法。首先，在皮层植入电极后，神经元的数量每天都在变化，因此每天都需要对信号处理器进行训练。其次，实际记录每个阵列中活动的良好电极的数量（产量）非常低，并且所有信号在一段时间后都会丢失。我们的建议：本文提出的另一种方法是从损伤部位上方仍然完整的近端脊髓中提取意志运动信号。切断的轴突的远端部分经历沃勒变性。然而，轴突的近端部分在损伤后几年继续发挥作用，因为它与皮质中的细胞体的连接仍然完好无损。脊髓- 计算机接口（SCCI）可以具有比脑-机接口高得多的信息流速率，因为大多数记录电极将是功能性的（参见背景和重要性）。由于脊髓的神经解剖学，记录的稳定性也将得到改善。在这种神经接口进入临床阶段以帮助高水平脊髓损伤患者之前，这些改进是至关重要的。重要性：美国每年约有15，000例脊髓损伤。这些病例中的大多数幸存下来，需要帮助满足基本需求。这一人口的平均预期寿命为40岁。任何能够为他们提供自我移动、环境控制和计算机访问的工具或仪器都是无价的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Following spinal cord damage from trauma or disease, skeletal muscles distal to the point of damage become paralyzed due to disrupted neural conduction. In high-level spinal cord injury (quadriplegia), there is a great need for a method that can substitute the voluntary control for self-mobility, computer access, or environmental control. Current Solution: The 'brain-computer interfaces' have been developed to extract this volitional control information from the motor cortex. The cortical signals are recorded with microelectrode/microwire arrays implanted and interpreted with advanced signal processing algorithms? Short Comings: However, there remain two main problems to be solved that are inherent to the cortical approach. First, with the cortical implantation of the electrodes the population of neurons recorded from changes day to day, thus requiring a training session for the signal processor every day. Second, the number of good electrodes that actually record activity in each array (yield) is very low and all the signals are lost after sometime. Our Proposal: The alternative method proposed here is to extract the volitional motor signals from the proximal spinal cord that is still intact above the site of injury. The distal portions of the severed axons go through Wallerian degeneration. However, the proximal part of the axon continues to function years after the injury since its connection to the cell body in the cortex is still intact. A Spinal Cord- Computer Interface (SCCI) can have information flow rates that are much higher than that of brain-computer interfaces since a majority of the recording electrodes will be functional (see background and significance). The stability of the recordings will also be improved due to the neuroanatomy of the spinal cord. These improvements are crucially needed before such neural interfaces can move into the clinical phase to help individuals with high level spinal cord injury. Significance: Each year about 15,000 spinal cord injuries occur in the US. Majority of these cases survive and need help for their basic needs. The average life expectance of this population is 40 years. Any tool or instrument that can provide them with self-mobility, environmental control, and computer access is priceless.