Electrical stimulation of the brain and the development of cortical visual prostheses: An historical perspective.
Rapid advances are occurring in neural engineering, bionics and the brain-computer interface. These milestones have been underpinned by staggering advances in micro-electronics, computing, and wireless technology in the last three decades. Several cortically-based visual prosthetic devices are currently being developed, but pioneering advances with early implants were achieved by Brindley followed by Dobelle in the 1960s and 1970s. We have reviewed these discoveries within the historical context of the medical uses of electricity including attempts to cure blindness, the discovery of the visual cortex, and opportunities for cortex stimulation experiments during neurosurgery. Further advances were made possible with improvements in electrode design, greater understanding of cortical electrophysiology and miniaturisation of electronic components. Human trials of a new generation of prototype cortical visual prostheses for the blind are imminent. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Hold Item.
Monash Vision Group, Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; Department of Neurosurgery, Level 1 Old Baker Building, Alfred Hospital, 55 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Surgery, Monash University Central Clinical School, Level 6 Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Monash Institute of Medical Engineering, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia. Electronic address: p.lewis@alfred.org.au.
Philip M
PM
Lewis
Monash Vision Group, Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; Department of Neurosurgery, Level 1 Old Baker Building, Alfred Hospital, 55 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Surgery, Monash University Central Clinical School, Level 6 Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Monash Institute of Medical Engineering, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814, United States. Electronic address: j.rosenfeld@alfred.org.au.
Jeffrey V
JV
Rosenfeld
D000818:Animals; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000266:history* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D057488:Visual Prosthesis / Q000266:history*
Bionics; Blindness; Electrodes; Neural engineering; Visual cortex