Title: Towards Neural Co-Processors for the Brain: Combining Decoding and Encoding in Brain-Computer Interfaces,
Abstract: The field of brain-computer interfaces is poised to advance from the
traditional goal of controlling prosthetic devices using brain signals to
combining neural decoding and encoding within a single neuroprosthetic device.
Such a device acts as a "co-processor" for the brain, with applications ranging
from inducing Hebbian plasticity for rehabilitation after brain injury to
reanimating paralyzed limbs and enhancing memory. We review recent progress in
simultaneous decoding and encoding for closed-loop control and plasticity
induction. To address the challenge of multi-channel decoding and encoding, we
introduce a unifying framework for developing brain co-processors based on
artificial neural networks and deep learning. These "neural co-processors" can
be used to jointly optimize cost functions with the nervous system to achieve
desired behaviors ranging from targeted neuro-rehabilitation to augmentation of
brain function.