Discussion - Nervous System

Weekly Discussion - Nervous System

This week we're discussing the nervous system, and this article contains references to many concepts covered by our learning objectives. That means it's a great place to start a discussion!

Whoa! Mind-controlled Prosthetic Lets Man Move Prosthetic Fingers (Links to an external site.)
LiveScience, February 16, 2016

For your initial post, you should be using your textbook and the article above as your primary sources to answer the questions below. The purpose of this first post is to apply the information that you're practicing from your learning objectives. Later, in the comments, I will expect you to do a bit of research online and support your comments with evidence, but in your initial post please stick to your textbook and the article(s).

In your initial post, please address each of the following:

• In the article, man-made electrodes provided an interface between the brain and the robotic prosthesis so that when the brain "expressed electrical activity" the prosthesis could respond. What does it mean for the brain to "express electrical activity"? What is happening within the brain cells?
• The researchers said that areas of brain "lit up" when the patient moved his fingers and when his fingers were stimulated with vibration. Which brain areas do you think were "lighting up" in each case?
• What questions or observations came up as you read the article? What did you find most interesting?