Elon Musk's Neuralink to test brain chip on paralyzed patients

Elon Musk, the founder of Neuralink, received approval for the first human test of his brain chip. The neurotechnology company announced Tuesday that it received approval to recruit patients to test the brain implant in a six-year study focused on patients with paralysis.

According to Reuters, the clinical trial of a brain implant may include patients who are paralyzed due to a neck injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study will test the safety and effectiveness of the implant in helping people control a computer cursor or keyboard with their thoughts. To do this, researchers will use a robot to surgically place the implant in a part of the brain that controls movement.

The study will take about six years, and researchers have yet to reveal how many people will enrol. However, the company had previously sought approval to implant its device in 10 patients. However, negotiations between the company and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) led to a reduction in the proposed number of patients in response to safety concerns raised by the FDA, according to current and former employees. The exact number of patients approved by the FDA remains undisclosed.

Previously, in May, the company announced that it had received FDA approval for its first human clinical trial but was already under federal investigation for handling animal testing. According to experts, even if the BCI device is proven safe for human use, it could take more than a decade for the startup to gain approval to sell it commercially.

For those unfamiliar, Neuralink is a neurotechnology company founded by Elon Musk in 2016. The company focuses on developing an implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) that can translate thoughts into actions. In other words, Neuralink's goal is to create a BCI that can be used to control external devices, such as prosthetics or computers, and restore lost brain functions.

Although Neuralink is still in the early stages of development, the company has made some significant progress. In 2020, Neuralink demonstrated a functional BCI that could control a computer cursor with a monkey's mind. The company is currently working on a BCI that can be implanted in humans.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk has ambitious plans for the Neuralink brain chip. The billionaire claims it could be used to rapidly implant chip-based devices to treat diseases such as obesity, autism, depression and schizophrenia.