ALS

A clinical trial is evaluating whether a new, implantable brain computer interface (BCI) is able to decode brain signals — ones research has shown are ...

Brandman, who will lead the surgeries for the study, is an assistant professor in the UC Davis department of neurological surgery. The goal of BCI is to restore the communication abilities, mobility, and independence of people with neurologic disease, injury, or limb loss. This trial also will assess whether the technology allows people with paralysis, including those with severe speech impairment, to recover multiple abilities that normally rely on the hands or on speech. The team wants to translate these signals into comprehensible speech produced by a computer. How does that relate to the movements or sounds the person is trying to produce? From there, the signals can be connected to a computer, which will decode them into digital signs through sophisticated algorithms created by advanced machine-learning techniques. However, signals cannot get through to the nerves and muscles that need to receive command impulses to execute such functions. “For example, what kind of information does this brain activity contain? They’ve also helped participants with paralysis [control a robotic arm and hand](https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11076). In addition to the study centers at Massachusetts General and UC Davis, patients are being enrolled at Stanford University School of Medicine, also in California, and at Emory University School of Medicine, in Georgia, and the Providence VA Medical Center, in Rhode Island. A time commitment of 13 months is required. A clinical trial is evaluating whether a new, implantable brain computer interface (BCI) is able to decode brain signals — ones research has shown are related to tasks relying on the hands or speech — and transform them into actions for people with neurological disease or injury.