Elon Musk's brain implant company Neuralink has selected the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, as its first research facility to test its telepathic device.
Noah Arbaugh, the first participant in Neuralink's study, underwent successful surgery to implant the device at the institute in January. This technology, known as brain-computer interface (BCI), aims to convert brain signals into commands that control computers and other external devices. Neuralink's goal is to allow people with paralysis to use a cursor and keyboard with just their thoughts.
In March, Arbaugh demonstrated his ability to use the system in a short livestream on social media platform X. A diving accident eight years ago left Mr. Arbaugh paralyzed from the shoulders down. The video shows him using a computer to play online chess. He said he also uses the Neuralink interface to play video games. civilization.
“We chose to partner with Valor based on their extensive expertise in caring for patients with complex neurological conditions,” Neuralink said in a recent blog post. Valor also issued its own press release announcing the partnership. The institute currently has more than 300 ongoing clinical trials and performs approximately 6,000 neurosurgical procedures annually. A spokesperson for Varrow said in an email that the institute is not conducting interviews at this time. Neuralink did not respond to a request for comment.
Neuralink has been criticized for not publishing any peer-reviewed research and for not posting its research on ClinicalTrials.gov, an online repository of human subjects research. Instead, the latest information about this trial has emerged from social media posts by Neuralink or Musk himself, the company's co-founder. Last fall, the company published a brochure detailing the study, including basic information such as how the device works and who is eligible to participate. The trial site announcement, Arbaugh's live streaming demo, and Neuralink's recent blog post fill some of these gaps.
This study evaluates the safety and initial efficacy of the Neuralink device. Adults with quadriplegia due to vertical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis who are 22 years of age or older and have a caregiver are eligible to participate. An initial evaluation of the safety and usability of Neuralink's system is expected to be submitted to the FDA in the coming months, according to a statement from Valor.
According to Neuralink's brochure, the study will take approximately six years to complete. The surgical robot developed by Neuralink places an implant in the area of the brain that controls motor intention. The coin-sized implant reads neural activity from her 1,024 electrodes distributed across 64 threads. These signals are transmitted wirelessly to a device running Neuralink software, which decodes the signals into movement.
Neuralink has opened a patient registry for paralysis patients who want to find out if they are eligible to participate in the study. The company said it is still in the early stages of the study and will provide additional updates about Arbor and future participants.
