New York Times,
June 20, 2002
Researchers at the University of Southern California Department of Biomedical Engineering are developing methods of incorporating the essential functions of the brain's hippocampus (where memories are formed) in hardware to help combat cognitive impairment from Alzheimer's, stroke and epilepsy, with DARPA funding.
They are recording the electrical activity of the neurons for all possible input patterns, creating models of neural functions, and translating the models into computer chips that will take the place of 50 to 100 brain cells. Chips to simulate up to 10,000 neurons have been designed and tested but not yet built. They hope to eventually implant the chips in the brains of rats or monkeys and then people.
Unlike other neuroprosthetic chips, which enhance the senses or motor skills, these are meant to augment cognition itself.
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