Mind-Reading brain chip could give voice to the voiceless
NCT ID NCT05724173
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This early-stage study tests a brain implant called BrainGate in just 3 people with severe paralysis or speech loss from conditions like ALS or spinal cord injury. The goal is to see if the device is safe and can let users control a computer cursor or other tools by thought alone. If it works, it may eventually help people communicate without moving or speaking.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- BrainGate Neural Interface System (brain implant)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could pave the way for a device that lets people with severe paralysis communicate using only their thoughts.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, tiny trial (only 3 people) focused on safety and feasibility. The technology may not work as hoped, and brain surgery carries risks like infection or bleeding.
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
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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
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About 3 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2023
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * Between 18 and 80 years of age. * Participants must have a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as verified by a clinical expert in neurologic diseases. * Participants with a diagnosis of ALS with anarthria, or severe dysarthria with decline in the preceding four months. * Must be within a three-hour drive of the Study site and geographically stable for at least 15 months after enrollment. Exclusion Criteria: * Visual impairment such that extended viewing of a computer monitor would be difficult even with ordinary corrective lenses * Chronic oral or intravenous steroids or immunosuppressive therapy * Other serious disease or disorder that could seriously affect ability to participate in the study (There are additional exclusion criteria)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Massachusetts General Hospital
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
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Stanford University School of Medicine
RECRUITINGStanford, California, 94305, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Serotonin precursor probed for spinal cord injury effects
- Breathing device tested to slow lung decline in ALS
- Can hospital codes reliably track home ventilation in ALS?
- Breathing brief Low-Oxygen bursts may boost sleep apnea treatment
- Pure oxygen tested as a switch for dormant nerves after spinal cord injury
- Spinal stimulation tested to help kids with spinal cord injuries sit taller