Chronic disabilities caused by brain, spinal cord, or sensory disorders deprive millions of people of their independence every year. For some people, restoration of function can be achieved through an implant that contacts the nervous system.
The INTENSE (Innovative NeuroTEchNology for SociEty) project will develop implants to improve the lives of people who are blind, deaf, paralyzed, or have epilepsy. “The research combines the greatly increased knowledge about our brains with new possibilities within neurotechnology. With this we want to arrive at new solutions and activity” explains Pieter Roelfsema, director of the Netherlands Neuroscience Institute and initiator of the project. "It would be fantastic if, for example, we could give the blind a rudimentary form of seeing back within a few years."