Bernstein Focus: Neurotechnology Freiburg • Tübingen – Hybrid Brain

Event Abstract Back to Event Bernstein Focus: Neurotechnology Freiburg • Tübingen – Hybrid Brain Ulrich Egert1*, Niels Birbaumer2, Ad Aertsen1, Carsten Mehring1 and Stefan Rotter1 1 University of Freiburg, Germany 2 University of Tübingen, Germany Stroke, injuries to the brain, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and similar neurological syndromes seriously impair the movement and communication capacity of the patients. They reduce the quality of life and limit participation in daily life. In a considerable fraction of cases pharmacological treatment is ineffective or insufficient to alleviate the symptoms. Neurotechnology is a rapidly growing field of research, which, according to our definition, thrives to treat, replace or support physical functions lost through diseases of the nervous system with technical means. Towards this goal, electrical or chemical signals recorded in the brain are used to control external or implanted devices. Based on the analysis and interpretation of electrical signals, computers could be controlled without keyboard or mouse. Prostheses could be constructed to reinstate voluntary movement based on the activity recorded via brain-machine-interfaces (BMI). Similarly, electrical stimuli or drugs could be delivered not on a regular schedule, but depending on the need determined from brain activity, e.g. to intervene with upcoming epileptic seizures or migraine episodes. Such devices could significantly improve the quality of life of these patients, as do cochlea-implants for the deaf and deep brain stimulators for some patients with Parkinson’s disease, devices already in use. Nonetheless, extensive research is needed to improve recording and interpretation of the neuronal signals, to stabilize them for long-term implants, maximize information retrieval and use this to control devices. The electrode-to-tissue interfaces need to be optimized to minimize short- and long-term tissue damage, in particular when used to apply electrical stimuli for defined effects and efficacy. While considerable progress has been reported in recent years, mostly with invasive electrode arrays inserted into the neocortex of monkeys in the US, devices for human usage are still in an early stage of development. Furthermore, ethical and technical aspects demand that less invasive approaches be evaluated and pursued. BMI research in Europe has mostly emphasized these techniques, such as recording with electrode grids placed on top of the cortex (electrocorticogram (ECoG) or on the skull (EEG). The former is less invasive than implanted electrodes, but more specific and yielding information EEG recordings. The approach is promising for its flexibility, not only to control motor control devices, but also to exploit brain activity in other regions, which subject can learn to control to some extent. The “Bernstein Focus Neurotechnology” (BFNT-Freiburg/Tuebingen, briefly BFNTFT) with the title “Hybrid Brain” is an initiative of 32 scientists of the universities of Freiburg and Tuebingen, Germany, their neurological and neurosurgical university clinics, the Max-Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tuebingen, the Natural and Medical Sciences Institute Reutlingen (NMI). In addition, several industrial partners contribute to the BFNT-FT, namely Multi Channel Systems, Inomed and the Honda Research Institute. The BFNT-FT thus ties together numerous new and established projects to form the biggest cluster for neurotechnological research in at least Germany. Their aim is fundamental neurotechnological research, the development of new techniques based on these and the clinical development of neurotechnological devices. These are intended primarily to establish movement and communication capabilities in patients. These new tools could one day assist the therapy of severely paralyzed patients, e.g. suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but also those with intractable epilepsy or drug-resistant migraine. Conference: Bernstein Symposium 2008, Munich, Germany, 8 Oct - 10 Oct, 2008. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: All Abstracts Citation: Egert U, Birbaumer N, Aertsen A, Mehring C and Rotter S (2008). Bernstein Focus: Neurotechnology Freiburg • Tübingen – Hybrid Brain. Front. Comput. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: Bernstein Symposium 2008. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.10.2008.01.041 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 13 Nov 2008; Published Online: 13 Nov 2008. * Correspondence: Ulrich Egert, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany, egert@imtek.de Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Ulrich Egert Niels Birbaumer Ad Aertsen Carsten Mehring Stefan Rotter Google Ulrich Egert Niels Birbaumer Ad Aertsen Carsten Mehring Stefan Rotter Google Scholar Ulrich Egert Niels Birbaumer Ad Aertsen Carsten Mehring Stefan Rotter PubMed Ulrich Egert Niels Birbaumer Ad Aertsen Carsten Mehring Stefan Rotter Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.