Houston (LabNews Media LLC) – Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) have joined the BrainGate consortium, making Texas the first state with its own team in this international research collaboration to develop brain-computer interfaces (BCI).
BrainGate develops implantable systems that can decode neural signals in real-time and use them to control external devices such as robotic arms or computers. The goal is to enable people with paralysis due to ALS, spinal cord injuries, or strokes to have more independence in movement and communication.
Nishal Shah, assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University and McNair Scholar, leads the team developing the computational infrastructure for decoding movement intentions and controlling robotic arms.
Dr. Sameer Sheth, professor of Neurosurgery and McNair Scholar at BCM, leads the clinical team that recruits participants, performs the implantation of the electrode arrays, and provides clinical care.
The first clinical trial focuses on controlling a robotic arm that allows tetraplegic patients to eat and drink independently. In the long term, the technology is also intended to be used for cognitive, motivational, and emotional processes to help people with mental illnesses.
Behnaam Aazhang, director of the Rice Brain Institute, welcomed the addition as a major step for the newly founded institute. Leigh Hochberg, Principal Investigator of the BrainGate consortium, welcomed the new team.
BrainGate is a consortium of several renowned universities and medical centers. With Rice and Baylor, it becomes the sixth team in the United States.
The study is currently still in the investigational stage. Interested participants must be over 18 years old and suffer from paralysis of the arms and legs or severe speech disorders. Possible diagnoses include spinal cord injury, brainstem stroke, ALS, or other degenerative motor diseases.
The BrainGate system is an investigational device and is subject to strict regulatory restrictions.
