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Human trials
Most of today’s cutting-edge research into connecting brains and computers is done in animals, the scientists note, with safety challenges and lengthy regulatory approval procedures preventing larger human trials.
During a Neuralink presentation in July 2019, Musk said the company was aiming to receive regulatory approval to conduct human testing by the end of this year.
Neuroscience experts said that while Neuralink’s mission to read and stimulate brain activity in humans is feasible, the company’s timeline seemed too ambitious.
But small devices that electronically stimulate nerves and brain areas have been implanted in humans for decades to treat hearing loss and Parkinson’s disease. Neuroscientists have also conducted brain implant trials with a small number of people who have lost control of bodily functions due to spinal cord injuries or neurological conditions such as strokes.
The humans in those trials could control robotic limbs or small objects, such as a computer keyboard or mouse cursor, but they have yet to complete more sophisticated tasks.
With the help of a sophisticated robot, flexible threads or wires smaller than a human hair are implanted into areas of the brain responsible for motor and sensory functions while the recipient is under local anesthesia only. Neuralink points out that the implant and the surgery together will eventually cost several thousand dollars, Musk said.
Startups such as Kernel, Paradromics, and NeuroPace are also trying to exploit advances in signaling, wireless and materials technology to create Neuralink-like devices.
In addition, medical device giant Medtronic PLC produces brain implants to treat Parkinson’s disease, essential tremors and epilepsy.
Scientists still face a variety of problems, including preventing scar formation in the tissues around the implant, the quality of measurements, and developing machine learning algorithms to interpret brain signals, said Amy Orsborn, assistant professor at the University of Washington that investigates neural interfaces.
Reuters
