“Individuals with paralysis may be steps closer to controlling external devices with their thoughts after Neuralink has claimed initial success with its brain-chip implant.”
Credit: Neuralink
Elon Musk, the billionaire who founded SpaceX, introduced Neuralink in 2016. He was previously the chairman of Tesla and currently owns X. He stated that the first human patient to receive a surgical diagnosis using Neuralink’s surgical robot had fully recovered and could control a computer mouse using neural activity. The method will be tested on individuals with quadriplegia caused by cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
First Human Trial
Neuralink began its first human trials in September 2023. Under an FDA investigational device exemption, it recruited individuals who had quadriplegia from either amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or cervical spinal cord damage.
In January 2024, surgeons performed a groundbreaking procedure on 29-year-old Nolan Arba, who has lived with quadriplegia for eight years due to a C4-C5 vertebral dislocation from an accident. Nolan has no sensation or control below his shoulders. He now has a Neuralink brain-computer interface chip implanted beneath his scalp, flush with his skull. The chip connects to his brain via 64 tiny wires, penetrating about 2mm into the motor cortex. It converts brain waves into computer commands. Nolan reported a battery life of 8 hours on a single charge and no cognitive impairment. As the first human to undergo this technology, Nolan’s case marks a significant milestone. However, the full results of this project may take up to six months to achieve, with future tests expected to further refine the technology.
In 2021, Neuralink performed 155 surgeries on sheep, pigs, and monkeys. In 2022, there were 294 total surgeries. Now, the plan is to perform 11 human implants in 2024, 27 implants in 2025, and 79 implants in 2026. The company aims to increase surgeries to 499 in 2027 exponentially and anticipates completing 22,204 surgeries by 2030.
In a tweet on the X platform, Elon Musk said, “Progress is good and the patient seems to have made a full recovery, with no ill effects that we are aware of. The patient can move a mouse around the screen just by thinking.”
What does work in Brain-Computer Interface?
The aim of this project is to connect the nervous system to the computer. This will help people with brain issues or injuries. It may even improve their memory and intelligence.
On Neuralink’s website, their mission is: “Create a generalized brain interface to restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs today and unlock human potential tomorrow.”
Lack of transparency about the brain implant
Some scientific and ethical concerns have been raised about the brain implant, which claims a lack of scrutiny. Associate Professor Laura Cabrera from Pennsylvania State University stated to the Associated Press that Neuralink’s surgery is groundbreaking. However, she emphasized that brain surgery carries potential risks. These risks include hemorrhage and seizures in patients.
Conclusion
The idea of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) is not new. Earlier, wires connected to the brain transferred information to computers. Neuralink’s BCI is different; it uses a wireless chip to send signals to devices. Nolan Arba is the first person to face potential risks from this technology. Neuralink aims to improve its chips for restoring vision, enabling movement, and treating paralysis soon. Let’s hope for a better future in technology.
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