Brain-Body Interfaces to Assist and Restore Motor Functions in People with Paralysis

Brain-Body Interfaces (BBIs) restore the connection between brain motor commands and body movements actuated via electrical stimulation. BBIs have emerged as a solution to achieve two complementary rehabilitation objectives in people with motor deficits: induce long-lasting neurological recovery and assist motor functions during daily activities. Here, we describe representative promising implementations for both applications and future steps toward their diffusion into clinical practice. We also present our assistive BBI approach to restore hand functions based on intrafascicular stimulation of arm nerves and decoding of neural manifold dynamics in the primary motor cortex. Preclinical tests demonstrate that our solution is promising for providing motor dexterity and decoding stability.