Patients with a spinal cord injury at the level of the fifth or sixth cervical vertebra typically retain some control of shoulder movements, but little or no ability to grasp objects.   The muscles in these patients become weakened because of the resultant lack of use, but they can still be made to contract if a small electrical current is applied to them.   My colleagues at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) have demonstrated that an implanted functional electrical stimulation (FES) neuroprosthesis can be used to restore very basic grasp functions to these patients.   Although such systems provide patients with the ability to perform simple tasks more independently, they are limited to providing pre-programmed, non-dexterous grasp patterns.   Even so, all existing neuroprosthetic control methods require considerable conscious attention to the control task.   The goal of this project is to develop a primate model of an upper extremity neuromuscular stimulation system that is controlled by intra-cortical recording electrodes placed in the area of the brain that would normally control the hand muscles.