Brain Stem Infarctions

The purpose of this study is to obtain preliminary device safety information and demonstrate proof of principle (feasibility) of the ability of people with tetraplegia to control a computer cursor and other assistive devices with their thoughts.

The purpose of this study is to obtain preliminary device safety information and demonstrate proof of principle (feasibility) of the ability of people with tetraplegia to control a computer cursor and other assistive devices with their thoughts.

VA research has been advancing a high-performance brain-computer interface (BCI) to improve independence for Veterans and others living with tetraplegia or the inability to speak resulting from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal cord injury or stoke. In this project, the investigators enhance deep learning neural network decoders and multi-state gesture decoding for increased accuracy and reliability and deploy them on a battery-powered mobile BCI device for independent use of computers and touch-enabled mobile devices at home. The accuracy and usability of the mobile iBCI will be evaluated with participants already enrolled separately in the investigational clinical trial of the BrainGate neural interface.

The goal of this study is to improve our understanding of speech production, and to translate this into medical devices called intracortical brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs) that will enable people who have lost the ability to speak fluently to communicate via a computer just by trying to speak.