fatbunyip t1_j62mnvv wrote on January 27, 2023 at 7:10 AM

Reply to comment by Layer_Signal in An ALS patient set a record for communicating via a brain implant: 62 words per minute by ChickenTeriyakiBoy1

Basically it's many very small wires that can pick up signals from small clusters of neurons in a specific area.

The idea is that the activity in the neurons when you think "move hand left" is different to when you think "move hand right". So once it's installed, you can get the person to think something, record the brain activity, and then you build a map of what brain activity matches what actions.

flusteredpie t1_j62x8k6 wrote on January 27, 2023 at 9:32 AM

Interesting. Does it ever require recalibration or are the signals constant with age?

martland28 t1_j63l7l7 wrote on January 27, 2023 at 1:54 PM

There’s not yet a universal calibration application so each BCI system is calibrated for each patient. Furthermore, yes, sometimes recalibration is necessary if the intended outcomes are bit off from what was expected.