Neuralink launches patient registry to improve technology

By Maria Merano

Posted on January 10, 2023

Neuralink launched a patient registry to learn more about specific medical conditions to improve its brain implant.

Neuralink is specifically looking for patients with the following conditions: tetraplegia or tetraparesis, paraplegia, vision loss, deafness, and aphasia. Tetraplegia (also known as quadriplegia) or tetraparesis is a condition where the patients experience paralysis or cannot move all their limbs. Paraplegic patients only experience paralysis in two limbs. Meanwhile, aphasia is a language disorder caused by damage to the brain, resulting in a person’s inability to communicate effectively.

The brain-machine interface (BMI) developer seeks individuals who may want to enroll in Neuralink’s future clinical trials. To apply for Neuralink’s patient registry, participants must be at least 18 years old and be either a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. 

“Through the Patient Registry, we expect to increase our understanding of the medical and assistive technology needs of individuals at a larger scale in order to thoughtfully design future clinical trials and neurotechnology devices that meet these individuals’ needs,” stated Neuralink.

Neuralink will not compensate patients for their participation. However, participants that meet Neuralink’s criteria for human clinical trials may be contacted again by the company for more information and enrollment. Although, the company clarifies that getting into Neuralink’s patient registry does not automatically make a participant eligible for its clinical trials. 

During Neuralink’s “Show and Tell Fall 2022” event, Elon Musk stated that the company might receive approval for human clinical trials in the first half of 2023. The company has already submitted paperwork to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to receive approval for human clinical trials. 

“We are now confident that the Neuralink device is ready for humans, so timing is a function of working through the FDA approval process,” Musk reiterated on Twitter.

During last year’s “Show and Tell” event, Musk stated that Neuralink would be able to restore full-body functionality to patients with severed spinal cords. Nueralink also explained the possibility of restoring eyesight during the event. 

Neuralink has some strong competition in the brain-machine interface field. Synchron, another BMI developer, has already started human clinical trials in Australia and the United States. Synchron’s human trials have been successful so far. 

Those who wish to register for Neuralink’s Patient Registry can click here.

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Neuralink launches patient registry to improve technology