The goal of this study is to improve our understanding of speech production, and to translate this into medical devices called intracortical brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs) that will enable people who have lost the ability to speak fluently to communicate via a computer just by trying to speak.
Between 18 and 80 years of age
Clinical diagnosis of spinal cord injury, brainstem stroke, muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or other motor neuron disorders
Complete or incomplete tetraplegia (quadriplegia)
Must live within a three-hour drive of the Study site and geographically stable for at least 15 months after enrollment.
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
Leigh R. Hochberg, MD, PhD.
Lead sponsor
Massachusetts General Hospital
Sponsor institution
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Collaborator