British patients are set to receive Elon Musk‘s Neuralink brain chips as part of the first UK clinical trial.
Neuralink is partnering with University College London Hospitals Trust and Newcastle Hospitals for the project, the company said in an announcement.
Seven participants who cannot walk will be fitted with an implant about the size of a 10p coin, allowing them to control a smartphone with their mind.
Those living with paralysis due to conditions such as spinal cord injuries and a nervous system disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis qualify for the study, the company revealed in a post on X.
This comes after a paralysed woman in the US revealed the shocking effect the brain implant has already had on her life.
Audrey Crews, who has been paralysed since she was 16, became one of five people in the US who have already been implanted with the brain chip.
Speaking on X, Ms Crews revealed how she was now able to write her signature for the first time since losing the use of her legs and arms in a car accident.
Ms Crews said: ‘I tried writing my name for the first time in 20 years. I’m working on it.’
Seven British patients are set to receive Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip as part of the first UK trial in partnership with University College London Hospitals Trust and Newcastle Hospitals
Patients who cannot walk will be fitted with the N1 Chip, a coin-sized implant containing 128 threads thinner than a human hair, each containing 1,000 tiny electrodes. This could give patients the ability to control computers with their minds
This comes after Audrey Crews (pictured), who has been paralysed since she was 16, revealed the shocking effects of receiving the neural implant
Neuralink’s N1 Chip, known as a brain-computer-interface (BCI), is a small implant which links the human brain to a computer through 128 threads thinner than a human hair.
Each thread contains 1,000 electrodes, which are inserted into the surface of the brain to read spikes in electrical activity.
Those signals are recorded and sent to a computer, which converts them into commands for common devices such as moving a cursor or clicking.
According to Neuralink, the chip can ‘restore digital autonomy to individuals with severe paralysis by enabling them to control devices with their thoughts‘.
Participants in the UK trial will have their implants inserted by a robotic surgeon at London’s UCLH National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.
Professor Harith Akram, a consultant neurosurgeon at University College London and chief investigator for the study, said the trial ‘represents a major milestone in the development of brain-computer interface technology, with the potential to transform the lives of people living with severe neurological disorders worldwide.’
After resolving safety concerns flagged by the US Food and Drug Administration, Neuralink began US clinical trials in 2023.
Noland Arbaugh, 30, a quadriplegic from Arizona, became the first person to receive the Neuralink brain chip.
Ms Crews received the Neuralink N1 Chip in July after surgeons drilled a hole in her head and used a robot to insert thousands of electrodes into her brain
Elon Musk founded the company in 2016 with a group of neuroscience and robotics experts. He says the goal is to merge humanity with technology
The implant allowed Mr Arbaugh to write, play chess, and even enjoy complicated video games.
Although many of the electrodes became disconnected from Mr Arbaugh’s brain, Neuralink enabled him to maintain control by improving the software that reads brain signals.
Similarly, Ms Crews has shared how receiving the brain implant has restored a level of autonomy she had long considered lost.
At the age of 16, Ms Crews was severely injured in a car accident, which damaged the C4 and C5 vertebrae in her neck, leaving her a quadriplegic with no feeling in her arms and legs.
However, after being implanted with the N1 chip in July, Ms Crews has shared her renewed ability to use a computer.
In her posts on X following the surgery, Crews revealed how she has been able to draw pictures, write words, scroll with a mouse, and use a keyboard all through the power of her mind.
Responding to the positive feedback she’s received on social media, Crews said she felt liberated, and she’s even started taking requests on what to draw next as the pictures act as practice for her while using the implant.
‘Imagine your pointer finger is left click and the cursor [movement] is with your wrist, without physically doing it. Just a normal day using telepathy,’ she explained while showing off her latest drawings.
Using a purple-colored pen on the computer screen, Audrey Crews wrote her name for the first time since 2005. She says she is the first woman to receive this experimental treatment
Using Neuralink’s brain implant, Crews can now write her name and draw pictures using a specialised computer interface
Mr Musk also replied to a post about Crews’ story, saying: ‘She is controlling her computer just by thinking. Most people don’t realize this is possible.’
The first female Neuralink patient noted that the BCI won’t give her the ability to walk again or regain any movement in her limbs, but she is hoping this breakthrough will allow her to write a book about her journey.
‘I’ve been a quadriplegic since the age of 16, so I have lots to tell,’ Crews explained.
Mr Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, co-founded Neuralink in 2016 with a group of neuroscience, engineering, and robotics experts.
Their goal was to merge human intelligence with artificial intelligence, treat brain disorders and potentially enhance human capabilities.
The billionaire said in June that the chip technology had made ‘an incredible amount of progress’.
But he emphasised the company’s cautious approach, adding: ‘The reason we’re not moving faster than we are is because we’re taking great care with each individual to make sure we never miss – and, so far, we haven’t.’
