Paralyzed ALS patient communicates using brain implants in new clinical study

Researchers have enabled a paralyzed, non-verbal patient with advanced Lou Gehrig's disease to communicate with the aid of two brain implants.

The findings of a two-year clinical study, published in the journal Nature Communications on Tuesday, suggest that communication with patients who are completely paralyzed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is possible.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neuromuscular condition that causes patients to lose motor function. While ALS is relatively rare, the number of people with the condition globally is increasing, with more than 300,000 people projected to be living with the disease by 2040. There is currently no cure for ALS.

The study's subject is a man in his 30s with a quickly progressing form of ALS. As part of the study, the patient had two "intracortical microelectrode arrays" – or two small implants with 64 needles on each to record neural signals – surgically inserted into the cortex of the brain responsible for movement. Wires are fed from the implants to a connector that is attached to the skull of the patient. On the outside, an amplifier is fixed to the connector, which digitizes the information and sends it to a computer.

While the patient is unable to move, the implants are able to read his brain signals and record his impulses to move. These brain signals are sent to the computer in real-time, which learns to categorize these attempts at movement into a "yes" or "no" response. This allows others to ask the patient yes or no questions. A spelling machine can also be used to read letters out loud to the patient, who can respond "yes" or "no" to each letter and spell out words.