What if your thoughts could allow you to feel the texture of an object, type a message, or move a robotic arm?

How does the brain translate thought into physical movement, and can technology bridge the gap for paralyzed patients, whose pathways are broken?

University of Chicago neuroscientist Nicholas Hatsopoulos is transforming that fundamental neuroscience into life-changing medical technology.

By implanting microelectrode arrays directly into the brain, his team decodes the neural patterns that fire when a person intends to move. This brain-machine interface technology is allowing patients who are paralyzed or have ALS the ability to control robotic limbs, reach for objects, and regain touch sensation through their thoughts.

Listen to Hatsopoulos break down his work on this episode of the Big Brains podcast:

Read the transcript for this episode.

Source: University of Chicago

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