PACE Neural prosthetic advancement: identification of circuitry
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Neural prosthetic advancement: identification of circuitry and decode optimization
IRAS ID
165817
Contact name
Jason D Connolly
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Institut de Neurosciences de la Tamone
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 4 months, 30 days
Research summary
The present research project would employ functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging - a noninvasive brain imaging technique - in paralysed patients and healthy control participants to examine changes in brain function/organisation following central nervous system injury (stroke, early stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cervical spinal cord injury). The purpose of these projects is to maximise the localisation/placement of advanced silicon array implants (such implantation is not part of the present study). This will be accomplished by the functional identification and classification of those cortical areas that are likely to shift in anatomical location following paralysis. To provide but one example, in the posterior parietal cortex this would provide for enhanced independence for such mobility-impaired populations via providing for the silicon arrays to be surgically implanted in the correct anatomical location. The patients would only be required to imagine movements in the scanner environment with hands, torsos or legs in distinct starting positions and their brain activation patterns would then be compared with healthy control participants, vis-a-vis those with non-impaired mobility. We are particularly interested in posterior parietal and visual areas of the cerebral cortex and how such areas may change from a neuronal organisation standpoint following spinal cord/brain injury/insult.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NE/0368
Date of REC Opinion
10 Nov 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion