Brain implant enables paralyzed patients to communicate through texts

Making most of technology, researchers have successfully created an interface that allows paralyzed people to turn their thoughts into texts.

In a first, US researchers have created a new brain-computer interface (BCI) called BrainGate2, that lets paralyzed people to operate a tablet, browse internet and stream music simply by the power of their thought. The tests were successfully conducted on three people suffering from paralysis from the neck to down and concluded with amazing results.

The system contains micro-electrodes implanted within the brain. They decode the neural signals with the intention to move a limb. All the three patients had grids implanted over part of their motor cortex, area of brain that controls movement. The brain implants picks up the neural activity and the patterns are then sent to a virtual mouse paired with the tablet, explained Gizbot.

Neurologists create music through thoughts

The participants performed few tasks including sending emails and browsing the internet. One of the three also ordered online groceries and played a tune via digital piano. The system also enabled the participants to chat with each other in real time.

As per Science Daily, what makes their study different is that BrainGate2 let users navigate entirely unmodified on off-the-shelf devices with no special features or modifications. Researchers believe that some basic alterations can even make their system more accessible to users.

Also, researchers believe that their study has the potential to open important new lines of communication between patients with severe neurological deficits and their health care providers.

“This has great potential for restoring reliable, rapid and rich communication for somebody with locked-in syndrome who is unable to speak. That not only could provide increased interaction with their family and friends, but can provide a conduit for more thoroughly describing ongoing health issues with caregivers,” said Jose Albites Sanabria, one of the researchers of the study published in PLOS One.