Marc W Slutzky

In the clinical realm, I see both general neurology and epilepsy patients. In addition to my clinical responsibilities, my research is focused on neural prosthetics, including brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) and myoelectric computer interfaces (MCIs). BMIs are devices that translate signals from the cerebral cortex and use them to control a variety of outputs such as a computer cursor, prosthetic limb, or electrically-stimulated muscles in a paralyzed limb. BMIs could allow patients with severe paralysis (quadriplegic or “locked-in,” for example from ALS or spinal cord injury) to interact with their environment and potentially regain the use of a limb again. We are investigating the use of BMIs as a rehabilitative tool to drive changes in the brain's wiring. In addition, this technology could also provide a way for such impaired subjects to communicate by directly decoding their intended speech from the cortex. Our ultimate goal is to optimize BMIs to the point that they can safely and effectively be used in humans for long-term applications. We are also developing MCIs to help improve arm function in people who have had a stroke. We have designed a portable interface that subjects can use to play games using signals from individual muscles that help improve their arm movement.