Brain-Computer Interface Reveals Practice Makes Perfect: Mind Controls Cursor on Screen

Brain-computer interfaces could become a major element in the future of the human race. The technology, which currently involves placing small electrodes on or inside the brain to allow patients to mentally interact with computers or control robotic limbs, can improve the lives of those who are paralyzed or have lost the ability to speak. Now, researchers have made some new findings about this technique--practice makes perfect.

In order to study brain-computer interface, the researchers examined seven patients with severe epilepsy who were hospitalized for a monitoring procedure that tried to identify where brain seizures originate. Physicians cut through their scalps, drilled into their skulls and then placed a thin sheet of electrodes directly on top of the brain.

While watching for seizure signals, the researchers also had patients interact with a computer. They were asked to move a mouse cursor over a computer screen by using only their thoughts to control the cursor's movement. Electrodes on their brains picked up the signals directing the cursor to move and then sent them to an amplifier and then to a laptop to be analyzed.

So how did the patients do? The researchers found that when they first started the task, a lot of brain activity was centered in the prefrontal cortex, an area associated with learning a new skill. After as little as 10 minutes, though, frontal brain activity lessened and the brain patterns looked similar to those seen during more automatic actions--like kicking a ball.

"Now we have a brain marker that shows a patient has actually learned a task," said Jeffrey Ojemann, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Once the signal has turned off, you can assume the person has learned it."

The findings are important for not only mapping the human brain, but also improving brain-computer interface devices in order to make them more user friendly. The research could eventually lead to the development of better devices which could, in turn, helps those that need them most.

"This is one push as to how we can improve the devices and make them more useful to people," said Jeremiah Wander, one of the researchers, in a news release. "If we have an understanding of how someone learns to use these devices, we can build them to respond accordingly." 

The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.