The monkeys were trained to do a specific motor task, and their reward was juice. An implant was placed in the area of the brain that we associate with 'willpower' (i.e., deficits in this area lead to poor behaviour choices and unwise decisions) that boosted the signal between what the animal intended to do and actually did. When this implant was turned on, their ability to perform the motor task accurately increased. Even more cool, when the animals were given disruptive doses of cocaine (such that they couldn't perform the task as well), they cybernetic implant helped them overcome the cocaine deficit. Importantly, it was just boosting their ability to do what they wanted to be doing; it didn't control their limbs with any signals other than the ones "high" brain functions were already sending.
Real Article
Science-reporting (layman) website's version
In the real article figures 5B and 8B&C should be available (the article appears to be open-access) and they tell the story pretty interestingly. "MIMO" is the implant being active; "Drug" is cocaine.
The granting agencies: National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Science Foundation; National Institute of Health; and DARPA.
mods: Tavern first and then maybe Sci&Tech once thread sinks?
Real Article
Science-reporting (layman) website's version
In the real article figures 5B and 8B&C should be available (the article appears to be open-access) and they tell the story pretty interestingly. "MIMO" is the implant being active; "Drug" is cocaine.
The granting agencies: National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Science Foundation; National Institute of Health; and DARPA.
mods: Tavern first and then maybe Sci&Tech once thread sinks?
