The largely basic science issues which we focus on in much of our work culminates in a practical launching point with our work on brain-computer interfaces. The focus of these projects is on mechanisms through which recording and therapeutic systems can be interfaced with the nervous system – a form of brain-machine interface research.

This work has included collaborations with the BrainGate team as well as the development of novel closed loop approaches such as CLoSES, with the eventual goal of neurotherapeutic tools for interfacing with the nervous system.

Closed-loop brain stimulation is a promising area of treatment for neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases and an interesting research tool. Using closed-loop stimulation as a probe we can study neural dynamics and interaction between brain states and stimulation responses. This could provide novel insights into the mechanism of normal and pathological brain activity, advance the discovery and evaluation of potential electrographic biomarkers of neurological and psychiatric disorders, and the development and testing of patient-specific stimulation targets and control signals before implanting a therapeutic device.

This work has led to the development of Closed-Loop System for Electrical Stimulation (CLoSES) for use with Real-Time Simulink and MATLAB. As a research tool, CLoSES allows for the direct application and interface with ongoing neural activity through efficient, and informed, neuromodulation through direct electrical stimulation.

Github code for CLoSES

(https://github.com/Center-For-Neurotechnology/CLoSES-RT)