Brain Computer Interface

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) refers to a collaboration existing between a device and brain that enables the brain’s signals to direct external activities, such as controlling a cursor (Berger, 2008). This interface allows a direct pathway of communication between the mechanism for controlling an object and the brain. The signals from the brain will lead to physical actions, such as the movement of the cursor, without the involvement of the neuromuscular system of the body through which a hand will move a computer mouse (Berger, 2008). Therefore, BCI can be useful in enabling disabled individuals to carry out various activities successfully. This discussion will consider the focus of BCI in neural prosthetics applications, whose aim is to restore damaged hearing, movement, and sight.

The BCI research on animals, such as monkeys and rats, has paved a way to the use of neural prosthetic devices, which have enabled the disabled to understand their surroundings through various senses (Graimann, 2010). Implantation of the first neural prosthetic devices in human beings started towards the end of the twentieth century. Some of the common neural prosthetic devices that have been useful to human beings include cochlear implants and retina implants. The cochlear implants have enabled the deaf people to understand their surrounding environment through sensing sounds. However, the sound quality in the use of cochlear implants will differ from the sound quality in the natural hearing, but profoundly deaf individuals will be able to understand speech. Retinal implants are among the neural prosthetic devices that have been useful in the restoration of vision for the blind individuals (Graimann, 2010).

In conclusion, the knowledge of BCI has led to the restoration of the sense of sight, movement, and hearing among the disabled individuals. Implantation of neural prosthetic devices, such as cochlear implants and retina implants has been successful in human beings since the end of the twentieth century. Therefore, the BCI research has been significant in human society due to the discovery of neural prosthetic devices (Graimann, 2010).