Eureka! Brain implant creates feelings in the fingertips
The technique could restore a sense of touch to people with paralysis
Brain stimulation
The research uses a technique calledstereoelectroencephalography(SEEG). This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that involves placing electrodes in targeted areas of the brain.
The researchers implantedSEEG electrodes in the sulci of two volunteers with intractable epilepsy.The participants were already undergoing pre-operative seizure monitoring for surgical treatment of their condition. Perthe study paper:
When the electrodes were activated, theparticipants said they felt “tingling” or the “sensation of electricity” localized to the hand and fingertips.
The researchers found that stimulating the sulci evoked these feelings more often than stimulating the gyri.
Their study marks another milestone moment for brain-computer interfaces. In recent years, researchers have also restored people’s sense of touch byconnecting a robotic arm to the brainand bysending neural signals to a haptic system. The new technique could provide a less invasive method of stimulating precise areas of the body.
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Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.
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