With the results of a new study in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers have a firmer grasp on the way the brain formulates commands for the hand to grip an object. The advance could lead to improvements in future brain-computer interfaces that provide people with severe paralysis a means to control robotic arms and hands using their thoughts. (EurekAlert!)

There is amazing work going right now with computerized prosthetic limbs that are controlled through inputs from an amputee's muscles or even nerves. There are also advances in the sophistication of humanoid robots in real-world conditions. But at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's aptly named "Wait, What?" conference last week, program manager Justin Sanchez presented some staggering next-gen neurotechnology research. (Slate)

Review the Future talks about brain-computer interfaces . We discuss the range of available invasive and non-invasive sensor options, the difficulties of processing brain signals, and the wide variety of ways computers might use realtime brain data.  While it’s clear that BCIs promise incredible benefits to people who are paralyzed, it’s less clear how extensively BCIs will benefit able-bodied humans. (IEET)

Pioneering technology has been used to unite a string quartet and four people living with severe disability for a world first in musical performance. The Paramusical Ensemble saw patients from the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN) in London interacting with musicians through a Brain Computer Music Interface (BCMI). The system, developed at Plymouth University, allows a person to control musical systems through brainwave signals detected by electrodes placed on the scalp. This performance was one of the first showcases of the technology, which researchers believe could have a transformative impact on people being treated for medical conditions such as Locked-In Syndrome. (EurekAlert)