Controlling a Computer or Robotic Limbs With Your Mind Simply Requires Practice

Properly using a brain-computer interface to control robotic limbs and computers with one's thoughts, it turns out, is as simple as waving a hand or kicking a ball - repeatedly.

Previous efforts have shown that with repeated practice paralyzed patients can eventually use their prosthetics effectively, but the study led by University of Washington researchers is the first to fully map the cognitive activity the human brain undergoes when attempting to become proficient at translating thoughts into physical actions.

"What we're seeing is that practice makes perfect with these tasks," said Rajesh Rao, a University of Washington researcher. "There's a lot of engagement of the brain's cognitive resources at the very beginning, but as you get better at the task, those resources aren't needed anymore and the brain is freed up."

In other words, while it may be initially difficult and somewhat mentally straining to utilize a robotic arm with only thoughts, the brain eventually streamlines the process, and begins recognizing the necessary pathways needed to translate the messages.

The University of Washington-led study was originally meant to map out the origins of brain seizures by placing electrodes in the skull. In between seizures, however, the scientists began studying how the patients utilized a brain-computer interface. Brain strain was high in the beginning of appropriated tasks, such as moving a mouse cursor on a computer screen around, but tapered off after as little as 10 minutes.

"We now have a larger-scale view of what's happening in the brain of a subject as he or she is learning a task," Rao said. "The surprising result is that even though only a very localized population of cells is used in the brain-computer interface, the brain recruits many other areas that aren't directly involved to get the job done."

The team hopes that the study can further applications in both the consumer and medical fields.

The published study detailing the findings can be found in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.