Neuromotor Prosthetics
Glossary

Conical Electrode -- A tiny, hollow glass cone, filled with wires and chemicals that promote nerve growth into the cone. About the size of a ballpoint pen tip, a conical electrode senses the electrical activity of the few brain cells that grow into it.  The conical electrode in the picture to the right has six neurons growing into it.
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Electroencephalograph (EEG) -- An EEG is a machine that measures the combined electrical activity of many brain cells.  EEG electrodes are placed on the scalp, not in the brain, and therefore measure overall brain activity, not specific information about individual cells.
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Electrode Array -- An electrode array is a waffle-looking device inserted into the brain surface of NMP recipients.  Each electrode in an array is like a pointed wire that can sense the electrical activity of communicating brain cells.  The array in the picture to the right has 100 electrodes and could record from up to 100 brain cells . 
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Freehand System -- The Freehand System, developed by NeuroControl Corporation, uses implanted muscle stimulators to allow paralyzed patients open and close a hand via shoulder movements.  The picture to the right shows a schematic for the Freehand system's implanted and external components.
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Invasive Procedure -- In an invasive procedure, the patient's skin must be cut and/or a device must be inserted into the patient's body.
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In Vivo -- Literally, "in life." Anything located "in vivo" is located in a patient's living body.
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Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) -- Also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease causes the nerves that activate muscles to degenerate.  Unused muscles become small and weak, resulting in paralysis and difficulty with speaking and breathing.  ALS has no cure and is always fatal. 
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Motor Cortex -- The motor cortex is the portion of the mamalian brain thought to control conscious movement.  It is located on the brain's surface, roughly in an arc between the ears.
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Neuron -- "Neuron" is synonymous with "nerve cell."  Neurons are the functional units of the nervous system.  The round, central part is the cell body, which holds the cell's DNA.  The long, branching tail is the axon, which sends information to other neurons or to muscle cells.  The shorter, arm-like branches are dendrites, which connect to other cells' axons.
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Non-Invasive Procedure -- In a non-invasive procedure, the patient's skin is not cut and nothing in inserted into his or her body. 
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Paraplegia -- Literally, "almost paralysis."  Patients with paraplegia have paralysis of their legs and lower body, but not of their arms and upper body.
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Parkinson's Disease -- In Parkinson's, a brain region called the substantia nigra gradually degenerates.  As this happens, patients develop stiff muscles, tremors, and inability to make conscious movements.  The cause of the substantia nigra's degeneration is not yet known, and there is no permanent cure. 
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Percutaneous -- "Percutaneous" means "through the skin."
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Pneumatic -- "Pneumatic" means "air-powered."  It is not specifically a medical term.
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Stereotatcic -- Stereotactic surgery uses a circular frame, screwed into the patient's skull, to establish a three-dimensional coordinate system.  Surgeons use these coordinates, along with 3D brain images, to locate target regions of a patient's brain during surgery.
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Tetraplegia -- Literally, "four-fold paralysis."  "Tetraplegia is synonymous with "quadriplegia."  Patients with tetraplegia have paralysis of both arms and legs and their upper and lower body.
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Transcutaneous -- "transcutaneous" means "across the skin."
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Vertebra -- The vertebra are the 33 hollow bones that stack to make up the spinal column.  The spinal cord runs through the long tube formed by the vertebra.
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Conical Electrode

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EEG

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Electrode Array

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Freehand System

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A Neuron

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Stereotactic Frame

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Vertebra

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