Christian Herff

Moving intentions from brains to machines Brain–computer interface (BCI) research has achieved remarkable technical progress but remains limited in scope, typically relying on motor and visual cortex signals in limited patient populations. We propose a paradigm shift in BCI design rooted in ideomotor theory, which conceptualizes voluntary action as driven by internally represented sensory outcomes. This underused framework offers a principled basis for next-generation BCIs that align closely with the brain’s natural intentional and action-planning architecture. We suggest a more intuitive, generalizable, and scalable path by reorienting BCIs around the ‘what for’ of action—user goals and anticipated effects. This shift is timely and feasible, enabled by advances in neural recording and artificial intelligence–based decoding of sensory representations. It may help resolve challenges of usability and generalizability in BCI design.

Online Now: Moving intentions from brains to machines

With electrodes on or in the motor cortex, BCIs can already achieve amazing results, but what if this is exactly the damaged part of the brain? We propose to integrate intentions into BCI frameworks using ideomotor theory: linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1364661325003523

It was wonderful to have you!

For Some Patients, the ‘Inner Voice’ May Soon Be Audible

Erin Kunz, Benjamin Abramovich, Frank Willett and colleagues published their amazing study on inner speech decoding from MEAs in the motor cortex. You can find the full study here:
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

The NYT asked about my opinion on this study, see: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/s...

China pours money into brain chips that give paralysed people more control Brain–computer interfaces being trialled in China offer some advantages over Neuralink and other leading US devices.

Research in BCIs is moving fast in China. I tried to convey my enthusiasm when being interviewed for this piece

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Very clever! I always print them on block and then spend way too much time getting rid of the supports.

How do you get rid of the supports so nicely?

Two post-doc positions in #iEEG research at the University of Bern, Switzerland, in the group of Prof. Athina Tzovara. Top PI, top city, #iEEG research: what's not to like?

Wednesday, Sophia Gimple shows her results on decoding decision confidence (A07) and Maxime Verwoert will discuss how to pre-process sEEG data for BCIs (G59).

On Thursday, we have our workshop (W20) on speech BCIs with an amazing collection of speakers!

Really happy to be at my favorite conference, the @bcisociety.bsky.social Meeting in Banff. The location is stunning and so is all the science being presented.

Today, Paul Weger will present his poster (B22) on adding frontal error potentials to intracranial BCI.

Our correspondence on a definition of BCIs has just been published. Check out how @marcslutzky.bsky.social , @mjvansteensel.bsky.social , Robert Gaunt and I summarize the @bcisociety.bsky.social definition: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Call - Centre de Recerca Matemàtica

🚨 Two PhD positions open in Barcelona!
Work with Diego Vidaurre on machine learning at the intersection of methods, neuroscience, and clinical applications.

Details:
🔗 www.crm.cat/call/89/phd-...
🔗 www.crm.cat/call/88/phd-...

#neuroskyence #psychscisky

A few days left to apply!

VocalMind: A Stereotactic EEG Dataset for Vocalized, Mimed, and Imagined Speech in Tonal Language - Scientific Data Scientific Data - VocalMind: A Stereotactic EEG Dataset for Vocalized, Mimed, and Imagined Speech in Tonal Language

"VocalMind: A Stereotactic EEG Dataset for Vocalized, Mimed, and Imagined Speech in Tonal Language"

In #ScientificData

#iEEG

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Check out this new article about the amazing new study by @changlabucsf.bsky.social with my 5 cents added.

We found that articulatory and acoustic representations are relatively localized and left hemisphere dominant, while semantic representations are distributed over the entire brain. We hope that this might be the starting point for BCIs that tap into the meaning of what patients want to say.

Maxime Verwoert's paper on different representations of speech production in distributed intracranial recordings of neural activity is now published:
www.nature.com/articles/s42...

We have a very exciting 4-year PhD position available at the @dondersinst.bsky.social, to better understand how neuronal populations generate magnetic fields and how to measure those intracranially, with Corette Wierenga & @gauteeinevoll.bsky.social.
For more info:
neuronanotech.eu/phd-projects...

We're glad to participate in the 2nd edition of #MicMac, a workshop dedicated to intracranial electrophysiological recordings!
📷 When: March 19-21, 2025
📷 Where: Toulouse, France
4-hour hands-on training on sEEG analysis
micmac-workshop.org/program/

I think @nschawor.bsky.social is a great fit!

I am hiring: PhD students, postdocs, admin personnel. Email me if you know somebody that may be interested in joining us in Cologne! 👇👇

Please RT for reach! 🙏🙏

Thanks for your kind words. I agree, we also make no claims about causality.

Interestingly, position could only be decoded in relation to the goal, not in an allocentric reference frame.

Really excited by this new study: @mottenhoff.bsky.social used a gamified experiment to show that goal-oriented movement could be decoded from distributed neural recordings. This is in-line with findings in rodents that the whole brain is involved in motor control (@carandinilab.net).

2025 #BCI Board Nominations now open. Thank you for your support in providing strong, on-going Society leadership through your nomination(s). Deadline for nomination: January 29
bcisociety.org/about/electi...

Announcing a new week-long program for young computational neuroscience/ behavior professors to talk about rigorous science, mentoring, lab management, and networking in a stunning retreat setting. Do great science as a community and have fun doing so.

A Speech Neuroprosthesis in the Frontal Lobe and... : Neurosurgery late and orbitofrontal cortices, and hippocampus. METHODS: A 37-year-old male neurosurgical epilepsy patient with intact speech, implanted with depth electrodes for clinical reasons only, silently ...

"A Speech Neuroprosthesis in the Frontal Lobe and Hippocampus: Decoding High-Frequency Activity into Phonemes"

Interesting single case report

#iEEG

journals.lww.com/neurosurgery...

Deadline extension for the BCI Meeting abstract submissions.

🚨Job alert (Please RT)

What: masters internship and/or PhD positions
Where: Rothschild Foundation Hospital (Paris, France)
Topic: AI and Neuroscience
Supervised by: Pierre Bourdillon and myself
Apply here: forms.gle/KKnea2QAjhAe...
Deadline: Feb 5th

One week left to submit your abstract for BCI 2025!
Submit at bcisociety.org/bci-meeting/...
Submission Deadline: Jan 16, 2025