In a groundbreaking development, scientists at the University of California, Davis have successfully utilized a brain-computer interface (BCI) to restore speech capabilities to a man suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The BCI, implanted in the left precentral gyrus, a region responsible for speech, interprets brain signals and converts them into text, which is then read aloud by an artificial intelligence (AI) voice assistant.
Casey Harrell, a 45-year-old individual with ALS, had lost the ability to speak due to muscle control loss associated with the disease. However, with the aid of the BCI, Harrell can now communicate his thoughts out loud using his own voice. The AI voice assistant software has been trained with audio samples of Harrell’s voice before the onset of ALS, allowing him to regain his original voice.
Unlike previous speech BCIs, the translation algorithm used in this system was designed with natural speech flow in mind, resulting in improved accuracy and consistency. The BCI’s 256 electrodes record the brain’s activity, translating patterns of brain activity into phonemes and ultimately into words.
This remarkable achievement is not the first instance of a brain chip enabling communication for individuals with ALS. In 1985, Richard Hawking famously used a specialized microprocessing computer powered by Intel after losing his ability to speak following an emergency tracheotomy. However, the UC Davis BCI stands out due to its superior functionality and accuracy.
The successful implementation of the BCI has opened up new possibilities for individuals with ALS to communicate effectively. Last year, a fully paralyzed 36-year-old German man with ALS also had a BCI implanted, allowing him to spell out messages and even request a beer.
The study detailing the UC Davis BCI’s success has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The team of researchers, led by neurosurgeon David Brandman, aimed to develop a system that empowers individuals with ALS to be understood whenever they want to speak.
