Neural engineering

In the physical sciences, neural engineering is an emerging interdisciplinary field of research that uses engineering techniques to investigate the function and manipulate the behavior of the central or peripheral nervous systems. The field draws heavily on the fields of computational neuroscience, experimental neuroscience, clinical neurology, electrical engineering and signal processing of living neural tissue, and encompasses elements from robotics, cybernetics, computer engineering, neural tissue engineering, materials science, and nanotechnology.

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Overview

Prominent goals in the field include restoration and augmentation of human function via direct interactions between the nervous system and artificial devices.

Much current research is focused on understanding the coding and processing of information in the sensory and motor systems, quantifying how this processing is altered in the pathological state, and how it can be manipulated through interactions with artificial devices including brain-computer interfaces and neuroprosthetics.

Other research concentrates more on investigation by experimentation, including the use of neural implants connected with external technology.

As neural engineering is an emerging field, information and research relating to it is comparatively limited, although this is changing rapidly. The first journal specifically devoted to neural engineering started in 2004: The Journal of Neural Engineering, and the first international conference on neural engineering was held in Capri, Italy, in 2003 [1]. The 3rd one was held from 2 May until 5 May 2007 in Hawaii.

Related Journals

• IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering
• IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering
• The Journal of Neural Engineering

Related References

• Neuroengineering (2007)
• Neural Engineering (Bioelectric Engineering) (2005)
• Operative Neuromodulation: Volume 1: Functional Neuroprosthetic Surgery. An Introduction (2007)
• Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease (2007)
• Handbook of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (2003)
• Neural Prostheses: Fundamental Studies (1990)

Related Conferences

• 1st International Conference on Neural Engineering, 2003
• 2nd International Conference on Neural Engineering, 2005
• 3rd International Conference on Neural Engineering, 2007 (old link?)

See also

• Brain-computer interface
• Central nervous system
• Cybernetics
• Cyberware
• Neuroprosthetics