Elon Musk's Neuralink takes bold step: Launches human trial for brain implant to combat paralysis

Elon Musk's Neuralink has received Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval for human trials and will start recruiting participants for its first human trial involving a brain implant to help paralysis patients. It must be mentioned that Neuralink is like a tiny computer chip that can be implanted in the human brain.

The study will focus on individuals with paralysis caused by cervical spinal cord injuries or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Although the trial's participant count remains undisclosed, the research is expected to span approximately six years.

It is pointed out that Neuralink intends to use a robot to surgically implant a brain-computer interface (BCI) in the brain region responsible for movement intention. The primary objective is to empower individuals to control a computer cursor or keyboard solely through their thoughts.

We’re excited to announce that recruitment is open for our first-in-human clinical trial!

If you have quadriplegia due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), you may qualify. Learn more about our trial by visiting our recent blog post.…

— Neuralink (@neuralink) September 19, 2023

FDA’s safety concerns

Neuralink wasoriginally aiming to implant its device in 10 patients but had to reduce the number of patient count owing to FDA’s safety concerns. However, the exact number has not been released yet.

Talks between Neuralink and the FDA show that there is greater investigation and regulatory caution surrounding their innovative brain implant technology.

The company's commitment to safety is evident as it works to address FDA concerns before proceeding with human trials.

Ambitious applications for Neurolink

Elon Musk envisions ambitious applications for Neuralink, aiming to use its chip devices for treating conditions such as obesity, autism, depression, and schizophrenia.

Notably, the company faced federal scrutiny earlier for its practices in animal testing.

The clearance from FDA signifies a significant step forward in Neuralink's journey toward developing revolutionary medical treatments through brain-chip technology.

Neuralink’s clearance may take more than a decade

Despite the potential safety of the BCI device for human use, experts anticipate that securing commercial clearance for Neuralink could be a decade-long process.

This highlights the significant regulatory challenges faced by the startup in bringing its groundbreaking technology to market.