Motor-cortical activity in tetraplegics.

摘要: It may eventually be feasible to reconstruct voluntary motor activity in the paralysed. Paralysed patients benefit from development of an implantable brain–computer interface device that can bypass damaged pathways1,2,3. But it is unclear whether chronically de-efferented areas will still sufficiently excitable respond attempts4,5 if cortex has been extensively reorganized6,7, and, they are, this excitability somatotopically organized8,9. Here we use functional magnetic resonance imaging study brain subjects with spinal-cord injuries while are executing, or attempting execute, movements different limbs. We show their motor-cortical activation closely follows normal somatotopic organization primary and non-primary sensorimotor areas. Our results indicate any reorganization system does occur these not affect attempt-related activation, should possible access control signals by using a cortical neuroprosthetic.