Mexico City.- A group of researchers from Chinese scientific institutions successfully carried out the world’s first brain-computer interface (BCI) test in a non-human primate in Beijing, the Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.
Xuanwu Hospital neurosurgeon Ma Yongjie explained that BCI is a technology that “can convert electrical signals into commands to help patients with conditions that cause motor dysfunction” to interact with “their environment,” thereby improving “their quality of life”. Likewise, he specified that there are three main types of BCI, which are invasive, non-invasive, and interventional.
In the case of invasive BCI, a craniotomy is performed to implant electrodes around the area of the cerebral cortex to obtain its EEG signals. Meanwhile, in non-invasive BCI, brain signals are collected through the scalp. This is a safer way than the invasive mode, although the EEG collected is of a lower quality.
However, in the interventional BCI, the connection between the brain and the computer can be achieved through a minimally invasive surgery, similar to a cardiac prosthesis, so the trauma is less than in the invasive BCI and also the quality of the signal is greater than that of non-invasive BCI.
How was the experiment carried out?
The test consisted of specialists connecting an interventional electroencephalograph to the cerebrovascular wall of a monkey in order to identify and collect its brain electrical activity. Based on the EEG, the animal was able to actively control a mechanical arm. This study is an additional result based on an interventional BCI trial conducted in sheep.
“This experiment is significant for the advancement of research in the field of brain science and marks the ranking of BCI technology in China among the highest levels in the world,” said Duan Feng, a professor at Nankai University. On the other hand, Ma Yongjie indicated that it will take another five years or more for interventional BCI technology to work clinically.
The manager of a Chinese BCI device company, quoted on condition of anonymity by the Chinese newspaper Global Times, explained that the US, represented by Elon Musk’s Neuralink company, has a clear advantage in invasive BCI technology, since it started with experiments a few years ago. However, he said China excels in non-invasive technology as it is a pioneer in BCI decoding and applications.
“In the field of invasive BCI, China’s differences with foreign rivals are quite large,” the manager commented, concluding that “breakthrough in interventional BCI could be a great way to catch up with foreign competitors.”
