Elon Musk addressed a campaign town hall in support of Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump in Folsom, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, October 17, 2024. During a live-streamed interview at a Las Vegas event on his social media platform X, Musk announced that a third individual has received an implant from his brain-computer interface company, Neuralink, which is among several organizations working to link the nervous system with machines. Musk stated, “We’ve got three humans with Neuralinks, and all are functioning well.” He noted that since the first brain implant was performed about a year ago, the company has improved the devices by increasing the number of electrodes, enhancing bandwidth, and extending battery life. He also mentioned that Neuralink aims to implant experimental devices in an additional 20 to 30 individuals this year. While Musk did not share specifics about the latest recipient, he provided updates on the previous patients. The second recipie...
Elon Musk addressed a campaign town hall in support of Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump in Folsom, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, October 17, 2024. During a live-streamed interview at a Las Vegas event on his social media platform X, Musk announced that a third individual has received an implant from his brain-computer interface company, Neuralink, which is among several organizations working to link the nervous system with machines.
Musk stated, “We’ve got three humans with Neuralinks, and all are functioning well.” He noted that since the first brain implant was performed about a year ago, the company has improved the devices by increasing the number of electrodes, enhancing bandwidth, and extending battery life. He also mentioned that Neuralink aims to implant experimental devices in an additional 20 to 30 individuals this year.
While Musk did not share specifics about the latest recipient, he provided updates on the previous patients. The second recipient, who has a spinal cord injury and received the implant last summer, has been using the device to play video games and learn computer-aided design software for creating 3-D objects. The first patient, also paralyzed due to a spinal cord injury, reported that the device has allowed him to play video games and chess.
Although Neuralink's advancements garner attention, many other companies and research groups are pursuing similar initiatives. Two studies published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine highlighted how brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have improved communication for individuals with ALS.
Numerous trials focused on BCIs are currently underway, with over 45 listed in a U.S. database. These efforts aim to treat brain disorders, recover from brain injuries, and explore other applications. Rajesh Rao, co-director of the Center for Neurotechnology at the University of Washington, noted that various research labs have demonstrated that individuals can effectively control computer cursors using BCIs.
Rao pointed out that Neuralink is distinctive in two ways: it employs a robot for the first time to implant flexible electrode threads into a human brain, enabling the recording of neural activity and device control, and its threads may capture signals from more neurons than other interfaces. However, he emphasized that the benefits of Neuralink’s approach have yet to be fully demonstrated, and competitors like Synchron, Blackrock Neurotech, and Onward Medical are already conducting human trials using less invasive or more versatile methods that combine neural recording with stimulation.
Marco Baptista, chief scientific officer of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, described BCI technology as “very exciting” and highlighted its potential advantages for individuals with paralysis. He expressed optimism about clinical trials revealing the most effective approaches, while noting that it is still too early to make definitive conclusions.
Baptista's foundation typically supports research teams financially and with expertise, although it has not provided funding to Neuralink. He stressed the importance of backing high-risk, high-reward projects, acknowledging the uncertainties around safety and feasibility.
Regarding testing and regulation, Neuralink announced in 2023 that it received approval from U.S. regulators to begin human trials. While most medical devices can enter the market without clinical studies, high-risk devices require an "investigational device exemption" from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before pre-market approval. Dr. Rita Redberg, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies high-risk devices, noted that Neuralink claims to have this exemption, although the FDA cannot confirm specific studies.
Redberg explained that the FDA is involved throughout the process, from patient recruitment to testing and data analysis, prioritizing safety. She also mentioned that all research involving human participants must be reviewed by an institutional review board (IRB), which includes a non-scientist and an individual not affiliated with the institution. The IRB's role is to ensure that there is a reasonable balance of risk and potential benefit, and that patients are adequately informed before particip
ating in the study
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