| 概要： |
In this talk, I will describe how state-of-the-art research on
brain-machine interfaces make it possible for the brains of
primates to interact directly and in a bi-directional way with
mechanical, computational and virtual devices without any
interference of the body muscles or sensory organs. I will
review a series of recent experiments using real-time
computational models to investigate how ensembles of neurons
encode motor information. These experiments have revealed that
brain-machine interfaces can be used not only to study
fundamental aspects of neural ensemble physiology, but they can
also serve as an experimental paradigm aimed at testing the
design of novel neuroprosthetic devices. I will also describe
evidence indicating that continuous operation of a closed-loop
brain machine interface, which utilizes a robotic arm as its
main actuator, can induce significant changes in the
physiological properties of neural circuits in multiple motor
and sensory cortical areas. This research raises the hypothesis
that the properties of a robot arm, or other neurally controlled
tools, can be assimilated by brain representations as if they were extensions of the subject's own body.
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