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Four brain chips could let paralyzed people control computers with thought alone

NCT ID NCT05936619

Disease control Sponsor: Nader Pouratian Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests a new brain-computer interface called MindEx that uses four small chips implanted in the brain to help people with severe paralysis control a computer or tablet just by thinking. The goal is to improve independence and quality of life by allowing users to type, paint, or play simple games. Two participants will be enrolled and followed for up to six years to check safety and effectiveness.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 2 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Feb 2026

Expected to finish

Sep 2031

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Paralysis resulting from cervical spinal cord injury (SCI), brainstem stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic), or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) * Provide informed consent * Understand and comply with instructions, if necessary, with the aid of a translator * Communicate via speech or other means * Surgical clearance * Life expectancy greater than 12 months * Travel to study locations up to five days per week for the duration of the study * Caregiver monitor for surgical site complications and behavioral changes on a daily basis * Psychosocial support system * Stable ventilator status Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of memory problems * Intellectual impairment * Psychotic illness or chronic psychiatric disorder, including major depression if untreated * Poor visual acuity * Pregnancy * Active infection or unexplained fever * Scalp lesions or skin breakdown * HIV or AIDS infection * Active cancer or chemotherapy * Diabetes * Autonomic dysreflexia * History of seizure * Implanted hydrocephalus shunt * Prior cranioplasty * Other implanted devices * Medical conditions contraindicating surgery and chronic implantation of a medical device * Unable to undergo MRI or anticipated need for MRI during the study * Breastfeeding an infant (direct nursing or via a bottle of expressed milk) * Chronic oral or intravenous use of steroids or immunosuppressive therapy * Suicidal ideation * Drug or alcohol dependence * Planning to become pregnant, or unwilling to use adequate birth control

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis brain stem infarction palsy quadriplegia spinal cord injury

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Paralysis; quadriplegic

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • UT Southwestern Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    Dallas, Texas, 75390, United States

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