Restoring Sight and Function

Newswise — (MOUNT LAUREL, NJ, August 19, 2019) — Neuroscience researchers will detail new technologies at the cutting edge of replacing lost sensory and motor functions, at the October 12 Pre-Meeting Symposium of the American Neurological Association 2019 Annual Meeting from 6–9 p.m. at the Marriott St. Louis Grand.  Pioneers in brain-computer interfaces (BCI) will discuss examples of the technology's use, their underlying physiological basis, and how such devices may change the clinical practice of neurology in the near future.

"This symposium will address brain-computer interfaces in neurological therapeutics, with examples including remediating sight in people with visual impairment and restoring hand/arm function and gait in people with stroke or spinal cord injury," said Symposium Chair Steven L. Small, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Neurology at the University of California, Irvine and Dean of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas.

An emerging class of medical devices, BCIs translate brain signals into the control of external devices or convert external stimuli into the activation of brain areas. BCIs can enable direct brain control of prostheses or deliver artificial sensation, opening new therapeutic doors for those with neurological deficits or injuries. After decades of research and development, BCI technologies have finally started to enter human clinical studies and clinical trials.

The session will feature:

• Brain-Computer Interface in Lower Extremity Rehabilitation
  Speaker: An Do, MD; University of California, Irvine and symposium co-chair

• A Systems Neuroscience Approach to Motor Recovery After Stroke
  Speaker: Karunesh Ganguly, MD, PhD; University of California, San Francisco

• Talking to The Brain in Its Own Language
  Speaker: Sheila Nirenberg, PhD; Weill Cornell Medical College

• Intracortical Brain-Computer Interfaces: Toward the Restoration of Communication and Mobility
  Speaker: Leigh Hochberg, MD, PhD; Brown University

The annual meeting of the American Neurological Association convenes more than 900 of the nation’s top academic neurologists and neuroscientists, as well as students, trainees, and international professionals, to share three days of research at the forefront of neurology and neuroscience.

This year’s program features a Presidential Symposium on Alzheimer's disease and plenary sessions highlighting the microbiome, language disorders, optimizing clinical trial design, and regenerative medicine. A detailed Advance Program is online.

A special “Highlights of the Meeting” roundtable for journalists will take place at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 15 and will be accessible by phone.  

Follow the meeting live using #ANA2019 on Twitter @TheNewANA1, on Facebook @AmericanNeurologicalAssociation, or on Instagram @ananeurology.

About the American Neurological Association (ANA)

From advances in stroke and dementia to movement disorders and epilepsy, the American Neurological Association has been at the vanguard of research since 1875 as the premier professional society of academic neurologists and neuroscientists devoted to understanding and treating diseases of the nervous system. Its monthly Annals of Neurology is among the world’s most prestigious medical journals, and the ANA’s Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology is an online-only, open access journal providing rapid dissemination of high-quality, peer-reviewed research related to all areas of neurology. The acclaimed ANA Annual Meeting draws faculty and trainees from the top academic departments across the U.S. and abroad for groundbreaking research, networking, and career development. For more information, visit www.myana.org or follow @TheNewANA1 on Twitter, @AmericanNeurologicalAssociation on Facebook, or @ananeurology on Instagram.