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.