BCIs & Neurotechnology News and Discussions

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funkervogt
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Implants in paralyzed man's brain and spine let him walk again.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01728-0
weatheriscool
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Neuralink gets FDA approval for human trials, but others are way ahead
By Loz Blain
May 26, 2023
https://newatlas.com/computers/neuralin ... blackrock/
Several years after Elon Musk's "aspirational" timeframe, Neuralink has announced it's received FDA approval for the first human trials of its brain-computer interface. But it's worth noting that another company has already done more than 50 implants.

Neuralink's first application to the FDA in 2022 was rejected on the grounds of safety concerns around the lithium battery, the potential for its tiny wires to move around in the brain, and uncertainties around if, and indeed how, Neuralink might be able to safely remove the implant without damaging brain tissue, according to anonymous current and former employees that spoke to Reuters earlier this year.

It seems it's been able to successfully address these concerns, and while the company is not yet seeking volunteers for the first trials, the regulatory door is now open.
weatheriscool
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caltrek
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How DARPA Interfaced With a Science Writer’s Brain and Turned Her Into a Sharpshooter
by Sara Goudarz
May 29, 2023

Introduction:
(Bulletin of Atomic Scientists) In 2007, science writer and editor Sally Adee attended a technology conference for DARPA—The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency—when she learned about a brain surface electrical stimulation method that allegedly cut in half the time it takes a person to go from novice to expert in sharpshooting. Known as trans cranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), the brain stimulation technique was also presented as a way to potentially speed up language learning and mathematical aptitude.

Adee was struck by the idea of surface brain stimulation and for several years worked on convincing the Department of Defense agency to grant her permission to try it out for herself. In 2011, she flew from London to California to participate in an army training simulation. With a device on her head delivering electrical currents, Adee went from a frustrated shooter to a skilled sniper.

At the time, the idea of transcranial direct current stimulation had been circulating for about a decade, and scientists wanted to know whether the concerted firing of neurons, by strengthening their connection through currents, would affect a person’s ability to learn. It turned out it did, at least for Adee. But did it work for others, and how long would the effects last?

To better understand the experience, Adee set out to learn more about the electrical currents that run through all living organisms—the electrical biome, or electrome—and details the findings in her book We Are Electric. The Bulletin’s Sara Goudarzi spoke to Adee about her encounter with transcranial direct current stimulation and how the technique can be used and potentially misused. The resulting discussion has been edited for length and clarity. (See linked article for referenced discussion).

Read more here: https://thebulletin.org/2023/05/qa-how ... -heading
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firestar464
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They def gonna use it to train troops in the future (assuming robots don't take over human soldiers)
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caltrek
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weatheriscool wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 7:16 pm Neuralink gets FDA approval for human trials, but others are way ahead
By Loz Blain
May 26, 2023
https://newatlas.com/computers/neuralin ... blackrock/
Several years after Elon Musk's "aspirational" timeframe, Neuralink has announced it's received FDA approval for the first human trials of its brain-computer interface. But it's worth noting that another company has already done more than 50 implants.

Neuralink's first application to the FDA in 2022 was rejected on the grounds of safety concerns around the lithium battery, the potential for its tiny wires to move around in the brain, and uncertainties around if, and indeed how, Neuralink might be able to safely remove the implant without damaging brain tissue, according to anonymous current and former employees that spoke to Reuters earlier this year.

It seems it's been able to successfully address these concerns, and while the company is not yet seeking volunteers for the first trials, the regulatory door is now open.
Here is a nice background article concerning this topic. Not a whole lot that is new to this thread, but a good overview:

Musk's Neuralink Is Now Approved For Human Trials. Here's Why It Took So Long.
by David Tuffley
May 31 , 2023

Introduction:
(Science Alert) Since its founding in 2016, Elon Musk's neurotechnology company Neuralink has had the ambitious mission to build a next-generation brain implant with at least 100 times more brain connections than devices currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The company has now reached a significant milestone, having received FDA approval to begin human trials. So what were the issues keeping the technology in the pre- clinical trial phase for as long as it was? And have these concerns been addressed?

What is Neuralink?

Neuralink is making a Class III medical device known as a brain-computer interface (BCI). The device connects the brain to an external computer via a Bluetooth signal, enabling continuous communication back and forth.

The device itself is a coin-sized unit called a Link. It's implanted within a small disk-shaped cutout in the skull using a precision surgical robot. The robot splices a thousand tiny threads from the Link to certain neurons in the brain. Each thread is about a quarter the diameter of a human hair.

Potential benefits

If Neuralink's BCI can be made to work safely on humans, I believe the potential benefits would make the effort worthwhile.

Read more of the Science Alert article here:

As also reported in the cited post:
(Reuters) The…(FDA’s) major safety concerns involved the device’s lithium battery; the potential for the implant’s tiny wires to migrate to other areas of the brain; and questions over whether and how the device can be removed without damaging brain tissue, the employees said.


Source: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/s ... musk-fda/
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Powers
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firestar464 wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 5:10 pm They def gonna use it to train troops in the future (assuming robots don't take over human soldiers)
caltrek wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 2:36 pm Musk's Neuralink Is Now Approved For Human Trials. Here's Why It Took So Long.
Felons will be the first.
Nanotechandmorefuture
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Post by Nanotechandmorefuture »

Powers wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 6:48 pm
firestar464 wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 5:10 pm They def gonna use it to train troops in the future (assuming robots don't take over human soldiers)
caltrek wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 2:36 pm Musk's Neuralink Is Now Approved For Human Trials. Here's Why It Took So Long.
Felons will be the first.
Probably the police first as well. Robocop has been a thing since the 1980s after all and Deus Ex has been a thing since 2000.
firestar464 wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 5:10 pm They def gonna use it to train troops in the future (assuming robots don't take over human soldiers)
No just general mind control aspect. If they ever field it for troops it will be a meat grinder war with robots.
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caltrek
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Brain Implant Partially Restores Feeling and Movement in Quadriplegic Man's Hands
by Rachael Funnell
July 31, 2023

Introduction:
(IFL Science) A man with quadriplegia has had partial movement and sensation restored to his hands and wrists following a first-of-its-kind clinical trial that implanted microchips into his brain. The brain implant forms an electronic bridge that uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to translate thoughts into actions, reconnecting the pathway between his brain and body that was severed by injury.

“This is the first time the brain, body and spinal cord have been linked together electronically in a paralyzed human to restore lasting movement and sensation,” said Chad Bouton, professor in the Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine at the Feinstein Institutes, vice president of advanced engineering at Northwell Health, developer of the technology, and principal investigator of the clinical trial, in a statement.

“When the study participant thinks about moving his arm or hand, we ‘supercharge’ his spinal cord and stimulate his brain and muscles to help rebuild connections, provide sensory feedback, and promote recovery. This type of thought-driven therapy is a game-changer. Our goal is to use this technology one day to give people living with paralysis the ability to live fuller, more independent lives.”

Keith Thomas has had quadriplegia since a diving accident in July 2020 that injured the C4 and C5 vertebrae of his spine. Injuries this high up can cause quadriplegia and tetraplegia, patterns of paralysis that affect the hands, arms, torso and legs, bladder and bowel function, and respiratory function. It results in loss of movement and sensation in all four limbs – but now a novel type of brain implant has been able to restore the feeling and control of Thomas’s hands and wrists for the first time since his accident.

“There was a time that I didn’t know if I was even going to live, or if I wanted to, frankly. And now, I can feel the touch of someone holding my hand. It’s overwhelming,” Thomas said. “The only thing I want to do is to help others. That’s always been the thing I’m best at. If this can help someone even more than it’s helped me somewhere down the line, it’s all worth it.”
Read more here: https://www.iflscience.com/brain-impla ... ds-70065
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weatheriscool
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Electrotherapy without surgery using temporary organic electrodes
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-08- ... rodes.html
by Lund University

Researchers at Lund University and Gothenburg University have successfully developed temporary, organic electrodes that can be seamlessly integrated into biological systems. The method, now published in Nature Communications, opens up a future where bioelectronics can be implanted in and removed from the body without surgery.

Electrotherapy is a medical treatment method that uses electrical currents to stimulate the body's tissues and nervous system. Typically, this treatment is used for chronic conditions such as Parkinson's disease or heart rhythm disorders. However, there are various non-chronic diseases like cancer and nerve injuries that could potentially benefit from electrotherapy. The challenge lies in the need for surgery to place the necessary metal electrodes for the treatment. In sensitive tissues, such as the brain, this often involves a very complex procedure.
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