Elon Musk-Owned Neuralink Finally Reveals Where It Will Hold Clinical Trials

Neuralink's objective is to empower individuals with paralysis to operate a cursor or keyboard using only their thoughts.

The research will assess the safety and initial efficacy of the Neuralink device.

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Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain implant company, has selected the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, as the initial location for testing its Telepathy device. The first participant in Neuralink's study, Noah Arbaugh, underwent a successful procedure at the institute in January to have the device implanted. Known as a brain-computer interface (BCI), the technology is designed to convert brain signals into commands that can control a computer or other external device.

Neuralink's objective is to empower individuals with paralysis to operate a cursor or keyboard using only their thoughts.

In March, Arbaugh showcased his ability to use the system in a brief live broadcast on the social media platform X. A diving accident eight years ago left Arbaugh paralysed from the shoulders down. In the video, he is seen using a computer to engage in online chess. He also mentioned using the Neuralink interface to play the video game Civilisation.

Neuralink in a blog post said, “We chose to partner with Barrow based on their extensive expertise in caring for patients with complex neurological conditions.” The institute has above 300 active clinical trials going on at the moment and it performs around 6,000 neurosurgeries a year. 

Neuralink Study

The research will assess the safety and initial efficacy of the Neuralink device. It is open to adults aged 22 or older with quadriplegia due to either vertical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, provided they have a caregiver. The Barrow statement mentions that an initial evaluation of Neuralink's system's safety and usability will be submitted to the FDA in the upcoming months.

As per Neuralink's brochure, the study is expected to span approximately six years. A surgical robot created by Neuralink will implant the device in an area of the brain responsible for movement intention. The implant, about the size of a coin, reads neural signals from 1,024 electrodes distributed across 64 threads. These signals are wirelessly transmitted to a device running Neuralink's software, which then interprets them into movements.

Neuralink has initiated a patient registry for paralysed individuals interested in determining their eligibility for the study. The company emphasises that it is still in the early stages of the study and intends to provide further updates on Arbaugh and forthcoming participants.