Brain Computer Interface

Abstract

Brain computer interface devices (BCI) detect and translate neural activity into command sequences for computers and prostheses. That is, electrodes recording from the brain are used to send information to computers so that mechanical functions can be performed. As a developing field, BCI has gained the attention of scientists and clinicians alike. This is reflected by the sharp increase in the number of BCI-related publications. BCI devices aim to restore function in patients suffering from loss of motor control, as in the case of stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). If successful, BCI will broaden the repertoire of neurosurgical treatments available to patients previously treated by non-surgical specialists. This editorial reviews some of the hurdles facing BCI in the context of two papers in the current issue of Clinical Neurophysiology.