Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) have exploded in popularity in the past decade. BMIs, also called brain-computer interfaces, provide a direct link between the brain and a computer, usually to control an external device. BMIs have a wide array of potential clinical applications, ranging from restoring communication to people unable to speak due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or a stroke, to restoring movement to people with paralysis from spinal cord injury or motor neuron disease, to restoring memory to people with cognitive impairment. Because BMIs are controlled directly by the activity of prespecified neurons or cortical areas, they also provide a powerful paradigm with which to investigate fundamental questions about brain physiology, including neuronal behavior, learning, and the role of oscillations. This article reviews the clinical and neuroscientific applications of BMIs, with a primary focus on motor BMIs.

在过去的十年中，脑机接口（BMI）迅速普及。BMI，也称为脑机接口，通常在大脑和计算机之间提供直接链接，以控制外部设备。BMI具有广泛的潜在临床应用，从恢复沟通到因肌萎缩性侧索硬化或中风而无法说话的人，恢复恢复因脊髓损伤或运动神经元疾病而瘫痪的人的运动，再到恢复对患有肌萎缩性瘫痪的人的记忆认知障碍。由于BMI由预定神经元或皮层区域的活动直接控制，因此它们还提供了强大的范例，可用来研究有关脑生理的基本问题，包括神经元行为，学习和振荡的作用。