IUBio

Wiring Neural Bypasses?

sas9557 at ocvaxa.cc.oberlin.edu sas9557 at ocvaxa.cc.oberlin.edu
Sun Apr 24 12:29:13 EST 1994


In article <Coo3sn.62s at undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca>, mwtilden at math.uwaterloo.ca (Mark W. Tilden) writes:
>
>Forgive me if this question is improperly worded, but has any work been
>done with the idea of running insulated platinum wires between neural
>structures in the body, with a hope to restoring or attenuating motor
>functions in the body or cognitive functions in the brain?
>
(Stuff deleted)

Actually, I worked in a lab at NIH this winter, and I ran across a group 
in NINDS that was working on a project very smilar to what you have 
suggested.  They were using a grid of (I think) iridium-coated gold wires 
implanted in the occipital cortex of macaques to simulate vision. At 
this point I don't think they are doing anything too fancy, in terms of 
higher visual functions, but it seemed like an encouraging start.  I met 
an electrical engineer who was working on the project, and they are 
slated to move to human subjects at some point this summer.  The 
engineer's name was Marty Bak, and he has at least one paper out on the subject.

Ary.



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