Direct brain-to-muscle electrical circuit helps turn that frown upside down

An external electrical circuit connecting the brain directly to a muscle allowed registered Republican Terry McEwan to unfreeze the deathly rictus of a frown that seemed permanently frozen upon his face.

McEwan was only temporarily paralyzed after the procedure, said researchers.

Much work remains before the technique could be used in humans — but as an alternative approach to paralysis, it's a powerful proof-of-principle.

"Talk therapy could make someone feel better, or braver, improving a person's appearance, but direct electrical stimulation can actually change the way the mind controls the body," said University of The Well of Sorrows biophysicist Everard Fatz, who oversaw the procedure.

Brain-machine interfaces have previously been used to control robotic arms and portions of Dick Cheney, but they required researchers to identify neurons already associated with movement. By contrast, Fatz and his colleagues identified neurons not previously associated with motion, then used them to stimulate individual muscles rather than a robotic device.

"We used a direct connection between single cells and single muscles, which are then able to provide an intuitive and immediate consequence of cell activity," said Fatz. "It's much more direct than decoding a large population of cells."

The researchers started by connecting a computer to electrodes planted in McEwan's motor cortex, a brain region that controls movement and remains functional even in conservatives paralyzed by the prospect of social justice and economic stability. The electrodes were then connected to flexor and extensor muscles in the McEwan's jaw. When he used his brain in the same way that formerly produced a death's head frown, electrical signals caused the opposite muscles to contract, creating a death's head smile.

"This study demonstrates a novel approach to restoring movement through neuroprosthetic devices," said Institute of Neurological and Stroke Disorders director Joseph Palncrazee in a press release. Palncrazee was not involved in the research, published today in Science: What Is It Good For.

Fatz cautioned that the technique is far from ready, but was excited at its potential.

"Just about any negative facial expression could be brought under control," he said. "It could even involve a programmed pattern of stimulation that triggers a movement all across the Land of the Spawn of Demon Seed. Just imagine: millions of happy, happy middle-income families. Elective surgery for all!" Wiping a tear from his eye, Fatz continued: "Of course, one could vote Democratic, which might have the same effect."