From 'magical' to 'rip it out': different brain implant experiences

20.08.2023 - 11:39 / tech.hindustantimes.com / Elon Musk

Ian Burkhart looked down at his hand and imagined closing it. To his amazement, it closed.

That moment, back in 2014, was the first time in history that a paralysed person had regained the ability to move their arm using just their thoughts -- with a little help from a device implanted in their brain.

"That was the magical moment that proved that this is possible, this isn't just science fiction," Burkhart said.

He had volunteered to be part of an experimental trial of a brain-computer interface (BCI), which connects human neural activity to technology.

The rapidly growing field, which includes leading BCI firms Synchron and Elon Musk's Neuralink, aims to use implants and algorithms to restore lost movement or communication and treat neurological disorders such as epilepsy.

But while some people enjoy the advantages of being plugged in to a computer, it can be traumatic for others.

Two people who had brain implants spoke to AFP about their different experiences.

After a diving accident in 2010, doctors told Burkhart he was paralysed from the shoulders down.

"At 19, that was a big struggle to hear," Burkhart told AFP via a video call from his home in Columbus, Ohio in the United States.

So he leapt at the chance to be part of a trial called NeuroLife conducted by US non-profit firm Battelle that aimed to restore hand movement.

It involved invasive surgery to implant a pea-sized device containing around 100 electrodes near his brain's motor cortex, which controls movement.

The device recorded his brain activity, sending it to a computer which used an algorithm to decipher exactly how he wanted to move his hand.

That message was then relayed to an electrode sleeve on his right forearm which stimulated the relevant muscles.

Over time, Burkhart became so adept that he was able to tap out guitar solos on the video game Guitar Hero.

But after seven and a half years, funding for the trial ran out, and he had to have the device removed in 2021.

"It definitely was a sad time," said Burkhart, now 32.

The blow was softened by the fact that he was only ever able to use the technology in the lab, which he visited a couple of times a week.

His scalp had also become infected.

"The device is screwed into your skull" with a connector sticking out, leaving an "open wound", he said.

"Your scalp is trying to close the whole time -- but it can't because there's a piece of metal in the way."

Despite the trial's end, Burkhart is positive about the experience.

He has become an advocate for BCIs, pushing for the experience of patients to be prioritised.

"The actual truth of using these devices right now is they can do a lot less than what a lot of people are thinking," he said, adding that it was not something that people need to be "scared about".