Brain Interface Speeds Communication in Paralysis

Implantable device research enables rapid typing for patients with ALS and spinal cord injury

Mar. 17, 2026 at 5:45am

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Researchers from Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute and Brown University have developed an implantable brain-computer interface (iBCI) typing neuroprosthesis that can restore communication for patients with paralysis. The device, which uses a QWERTY keyboard and attempted finger movements, performed well for two BrainGate clinical trial participants - one with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the other with a cervical spinal cord injury. The participants were able to type at speeds up to 110 characters or 22 words per minute with 1.6% word error rate, on par with able-bodied typing accuracy.

Why it matters

Communication devices for people with paralysis have long been suboptimal, often described as slow, error-prone and difficult to use. This new iBCI typing neuroprosthesis represents a significant advancement in restoring communication and independence for those with severe speech and motor impairments, who often have to rely on frustratingly slow systems like eye-gaze technology.

The details

The iBCI typing neuroprosthesis starts with microelectrode sensors placed in the motor cortex, which detect the brain's electrical activity as the participant attempts finger movements. This neural activity is then translated into letter selections on a displayed QWERTY keyboard. A final predictive language model ensures cohesive, accurate communication. The two clinical trial participants were able to calibrate their devices with as few as 30 sentences and reach typing speeds comparable to able-bodied individuals.

  • The BrainGate team has been advancing and testing the feasibility and efficacy of iBCIs since 2004.
  • The new iBCI typing neuroprosthesis results are published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

The players

Dr. Daniel Rubin

A critical care neurologist with the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery at Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute.

Dr. Leigh Hochberg

A professor of engineering and brain science at Brown University and leader of the BrainGate clinical trial. He is also the director of the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery at Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute and an affiliate of Brown's Carney Institute for Brain Science.

Justin Jude

A postdoctoral researcher at Mass General Brigham and the first and corresponding author of the study.

BrainGate

A team of neurologists, neuroscientists, engineers, computer scientists, neurosurgeons, mathematicians and other researchers from multiple institutions working together to create better communication and mobility tools for people with neurologic disease, injury or limb loss.

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What they’re saying

“For many people with paralysis, when losing use of both the hands and the muscles of speech, communication can become difficult or impossible. Often, people with severe speech and motor impairments end up relying on things like eye-gaze technology - spelling words out one letter at a time by using an eye movement tracking system. Those systems take far too long for many users. Patients often find this and other types of augmentative and alternative communication systems frustrating to use. BCIs are on track to become an important new alternative to what's currently offered.”

— Dr. Daniel Rubin, critical care neurologist

“Since 2004, our BrainGate team has been advancing and testing the feasibility and efficacy of iBCIs to restore communication and independence for people with paralysis. The BrainGate consortium demonstrates the strength of academic and university-based researchers working together, thinking about what's possible, and then advancing the frontiers of restorative neurotechnology. And by doing so, we make it that much easier for industry to create the final form of implantable medical devices for our patients.”

— Dr. Leigh Hochberg, professor of engineering and brain science

“Decoding these finger movements is also a big step toward being able to restore complex reach and grasp movements for people with upper extremity paralysis. And there's also room to make this communication tool better - like implementing a stenography or otherwise personalized keyboard to make typing even faster. Our BCI is a great example of how modern neuroscience and artificial intelligence technology can combine to create something capable of restoring communication and independence for people with paralysis.”

— Justin Jude, postdoctoral researcher

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This new iBCI typing neuroprosthesis represents a significant breakthrough in restoring communication and independence for people with severe paralysis, who have long been frustrated by the limitations of existing assistive technologies. By combining modern neuroscience and AI, the BrainGate team has developed a device that can enable rapid and accurate typing, paving the way for further advancements in restoring complex motor functions.