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What are neural prosthetics and neural interfaces?
Neural interfaces are systems operating at the intersection of the nervous system and an internal or external device. Neural
interfaces include neural prosthetics, which are artificial extensions to the body that restore or supplement function of
the nervous system lost during disease or injury, and implantable neural stimulators that provide therapy. Neural interfaces
are used to allow disabled individuals the ability to control their own bodies and lead fuller and more productive lives.
Who are the NINDS Program Directors with interests in neural interfaces and what do they do?
In brief, NINDS Program Directors are expected to provide scientific leadership for the field. In this capacity, they identify
unmet research needs and gaps in knowledge, develop new initiatives for funding, collaborate with other federal agencies,
manage projects that have milestones and deliverables, and organize workshops, conferences, and symposia (learn more). Interest in neural interfaces is a shared interest among the scientists in the NINDS Program Staff:
Has research in neural interfaces and development of neural prosthetics benefited patients?
Neural interfaces have already provided substantive benefits to individuals. For example, the NIH had a key role in the development
of the cochlear prosthesis , which bypasses damaged hair cells in the auditory system by direct electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve. In addition,
neural interfaces that allow deep brain stimulation have been useful for some patients in reducing the motor symptoms associated with Parkinson's Disease.
What other diseases are targeted for neural prosthetic applications?
Clearly, individuals living with certain movement disorders and some classes of deafness have been positively impacted by
neural interfaces. Of particular interest to the NINDS is future progress in the field of neural interfaces that will result
in assistive technologies to improve the quality of life by restoring motor and communicative functions for individuals with
spinal cord injuries, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and stroke.
How does the NINDS support neural interfaces?
For over 30 years, the NINDS has supported grants and contracts on a number of areas within the neural interfaces field including,
but not limited to: functional neuromuscular stimulation, deep brain stimulation, multielectrode cuffs for nerve interfaces,
cortical microelectrode arrays, biocompatibility of neural interfaces, implantable neural stimulators, and brain/computer
interfaces.
Research in neural interfaces at the NIH began with the initiation of the Neural Prosthesis Program, which was funded primarily through contracts. However, the program now makes use of both grant and contract mechanisms to enable the field to progress. This transition from contracts to grantshas been facilitated by the increasingly wide-spread recognition of the importance of non-hypothesis driven research to the biomedical research enterprise. Potential investigators are encouraged to explore the use of the program announcements listed below to support research and development efforts. As the field has matured, neural interfaces have become part of a larger trans-NIH effort involving multiple Institutes and Centers including, but not limited to NIDCD , NICHD, and NIBIB.
Should I contact NINDS or NIBIB about my ideas for a neural interfaces grant?
The area of neural interfaces resides in multiple institutes and the extramural community should recognize that the NIH staff
who share interests in this area regularly interact. However, there have been many questions from the extramural community
relative to the interests of NINDS and NIBIB concerning neural interfaces. If the proposed work involves development of novel
technologies and methods that are broadly applicable across multiple disease and organ areas, which may include the nervous
system, or involves proof-of-principle of a widely applicable technology, the investigator should first consider NIBIB. For
basic, translational, or clinical research for technologies that target the nervous system or treatment of neurological disorders,
investigators should first consider NINDS. NINDS is also interested in the use, optimization, or validation of novel/existing
technologies for applications related to neurological disorders. If an investigator has questions about a specific application,
he/she can contact Program Staff at the NINDS for clarification.
What research is currently envisioned for neural interfaces?
Among the goals of the NINDS effort is the development of totally implantable systems for restoring the motor control and
sensory feedback for a paralyzed individual. Significant progress is being made towards the development of motor prostheses
for disabled individuals, particularly for upper limb control. It is anticipated that future efforts will combine subsystems
for functional neuromuscular stimulation with neural interfaces that can detect signals in the brain associated with movement,
such as implanted microelectrode arrays in the motor cortex. Potential emergent areas that are likely to impact the future
of neural interfaces include nanotechnologies, novel bioactive materials, adaptive computational methods for multi-neuron
analysis, and technologies that go beyond electrical stimulation of the nervous system to allow controlled inhibition.
What funding opportunities currently exist?
Although many awarded grants are unsolicited, several current funding announcements are relevant to work in neural interfaces.
Program Announcements (PA):
Neural Interfaces Resources
The Neural Interfaces Resources page consists of helpful links and projects that were or are currently funded by the NINDS. This includes projects supported
through the Neurotechnology Research, Development, and Enhancement Program (PA-04-006), SBIR programs, and contract mechanisms.
The Neural Interfaces Conference will be held on June 16-18th 2008 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Cleveland, OH. Registration and conference details are located on the conference web-site.
Register for the Neural Interfaces Program Listserv
The Neural Interfaces Program Listserv is designed for the dissemination of information relevant to the Neural Prosthesis and Neural Interfaces Communities. Information
sent out will pertain to meetings (such as the annual Neural Interfaces Workshop), and relevant program announcements (including
RFA's and RFP's).
Last updated July 14, 2008