What is Neural Engineering?

Abstract

It is only recently that the term Neural Engineering or Neuroengineering first appeared. The emergence of this new field can be attributed to the recognition that engineers, neuroscientists and clinicians should be working together to address the problems associated with the complexity of the nervous system. Neural engineering has generated a lot of excitement not only for the development of interfaces between the brain and computers but for its mostly untapped potential to develop treatment for patients with neurological disorders such as strokes or epilepsy. Now the field has matured significantly as evidenced by its strong and regular presence at various conferences around the world and the growth in the number of published papers in the area. As a result, the scope of the field has evolved and a clear definition of neural engineering is needed. The editorial board of the Journal of Neural Engineering defines the field as follows: `Neural Engineering is an emerging interdisciplinary research area that brings to bear neuroscience and engineering methods to analyze neurological function as well as to design solutions to problems associated with neurological limitations and dysfunction'. The main goal of the field is to solve neuroscience-related problems and to provide rehabilitative solutions for nervous system conditions. The emphasis on engineering and quantitative methodology applied to the nervous system distinguishes neural engineering from traditional areas in neuroscience such as neurophysiology. The integration between neuroscience and engineering separates neural engineering from other engineering disciplines such as artificial neural networks.