U01NS123101

Cortical Basis of Complex Motor Sequences in Humans for Neural Interfaces - Project Summary

Intracortical Brain-Computer Interfaces (IBCI) can restore lost function for people with severe speech and motor impairment (SSMI) due to neurological injury or disease. Despite tremendous recent progress, IBCI performance remains well below that of able-bodied people.

In prior NIH-supported research, our collaborative team developed a high-performance intracortical brain-computer interface (IBCI) that decodes arm movement intentions directly from brain activity. This technology has allowed people with SSMI to control a computer cursor with sufficient speed and accuracy to type at up to 8 words/min and has enabled full control of unmodified consumer devices using only decoded motor cortical activity.

In the proposed U01 clinical research, we will take an important next step for the field: investigating neural ensemble encoding during complex tasks that only people are capable of performing (i.e., moving arbitrary combinations of limbs and body parts, and handwriting). This work will build upon decades of experience in studying the motor system in humans and non-human primates, with the end goal of advancing IBCI technology, and will be performed as part of the multi-site BrainGate Consortium.

We propose to study in detail, at 'coarse' and 'fine' scales, how the precentral gyrus (PCG; "motor cortex") generates complex movements. We will base our investigations on two new key discoveries from our lab: 1) that a small area of the PCG encodes movements of all 4 limbs in a 'compositional' way, allowing differentiation of separate limb and movement encoding dimensions, and 2) that complex, dexterous movements such as handwriting can be accurately decoded from the PCG of people with paralysis.

The results of these detailed fundamental neuroscience studies will enable us to then design and demonstrate two entirely new IBCIs: a system for helping restore continuous motion of the entire body in virtual reality ('whole-body IBCI') and a system to substantially increase on-screen text generation speed ('handwriting IBCI').

Finally, we will continue to evaluate the safety profile of Utah-Array based IBCIs through the ongoing BrainGate2 pilot clinical trial, with particular emphasis on critical neuroethics considerations.

Upon completion, this project will advance both the capabilities of IBCIs for restoration of lost function and our understanding of the detailed neural mechanisms of complex movements.

The Leland Stanford Junior University

(1) TO SUPPORT EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE (NINDS) INCLUDING: BASIC RESEARCH THAT EXPLORES THE FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE BRAIN AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND THE CAUSES AND ORIGINS OF PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM WITH THE GOAL OF PREVENTING THESE DISORDERS, RESEARCH ON THE NATURAL COURSE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS, IMPROVED METHODS OF DISEASE PREVENTION, NEW METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT, DRUG DEVELOPMENT, DEVELOPMENT OF NEURAL DEVICES, CLINICAL TRIALS, AND RESEARCH TRAINING IN BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE. THE INSTITUTE IS THE LARGEST FUNDER OF BASIC NEUROSCIENCE IN THE US AND SUPPORTS RESEARCH ON TOPICS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: DEVELOPMENT OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, INCLUDING NEUROGENESIS AND PROGENITOR CELL BIOLOGY, SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION IN DEVELOPMENT AND PLASTICITY, AND PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH, SYNAPSE FORMATION, FUNCTION, AND PLASTICITY, LEARNING AND MEMORY, CHANNELS, TRANSPORTERS, AND PUMPS, CIRCUIT FORMATION AND MODULATION, BEHAVIORAL AND COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE, SENSORIMOTOR LEARNING, INTEGRATION AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, NEUROENDOCRINE SYSTEMS, SLEEP AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS, AND SENSORY AND MOTOR SYSTEMS. IN ADDITION, THE INSTITUTE SUPPORTS BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL AND CLINICAL STUDIES ON A NUMBER OF DISORDERS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM INCLUDING (BUT NOT LIMITED TO): STROKE, TRAUMATIC INJURY TO THE BRAIN, SPINAL CORD AND PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS, MOVEMENT DISORDERS, BRAIN TUMORS, CONVULSIVE DISORDERS, INFECTIOUS DISORDERS OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM, IMMUNE DISORDERS OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM, INCLUDING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, DISORDERS RELATED TO SLEEP, AND PAIN. PROGRAMMATIC AREAS, WHICH ARE PRIMARILY SUPPORTED BY THE DIVISION OF NEUROSCIENCE, ARE ALSO SUPPORTED BY THE DIVISION OF EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITIES, THE DIVISION OF TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH, THE DIVISION OF CLINICAL RESEARCH, THE OFFICE OF TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, THE OFFICE OF PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE NEUROSCIENCE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES. (2) TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. TO UTILIZE THE SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM, TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.866 - Aging Research

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NNDS) [HHS - NIH]

National Institute on Aging (NIA) [HHS - NIH]

Stanford, California 94305 United States

Single Zip Code

BRAIN Initiative: Research Opportunities Using Invasive Neural Recording and Stimulating Technologies in the Human Brain (U01 Clinical Trial Required) (RFA-NS-19-001)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 6922% from $89,155 to $6,260,537.