ABILITY records human brain signals with its system for the first time during surgery
ABILITY records human brain signals with its system for the first time during surgery
On July 21, Swiss company ABILITY Neurotech reported the first surgery in which its system recorded neural signals from a person. The Munich series involves people undergoing brain tumor removal. During each procedure, electrodes will record cortical activity for 20–30 minutes.
When a person with paralysis tries to say a word or move a hand, the intention may still arise in the cerebral cortex even though the signal no longer reaches the muscles involved in movement or speech. A brain computer interface reads electrical activity from the cortex, while software learns to associate recurring activity patterns with commands for a computer, speech synthesizer, or prosthesis.
ABILITY's first procedure took place in the neurosurgery department at the Technical University of Munich's university hospital. The first participant was under general anesthesia. The team tested whether the electrodes, equipment, and data recording system worked together. In subsequent procedures, the company plans to ask awake participants to perform speech and movement tasks. These tasks allow researchers to match a pattern of brain activity to an attempt to say a word or make a movement.
“We can record established phenomena such as evoked potentials and high-frequency gamma activity, then compare ABILITY's signal quality with that of clinical electrophysiology systems,” says neurosurgeon Simon Jacob.
An evoked potential is a brief brain response to a stimulus. High-frequency gamma activity is one form of the brain's electrical activity. In the Munich series, the team will compare these signals with recordings from clinical systems.
Meanwhile, recruitment is underway in Utrecht for the INTRECOM study, which is intended for people with severe paralysis and communication impairments. During surgery, four electrode arrays will be placed on the surface of the brain. Researchers will then train participants to use the system at home. The Munich series tests signal recording during surgery, while INTRECOM aims to establish a communication channel for use beyond the operating room.