Hi and welcome back to another episode of the Elon Musk Podcast
where we explore the latest developments in technology,
science and the world of startups.
And I think we have an intriguing story that takes us
to the frontier of biotechnology and human machine interfaces.
We'll be discussing neural links.
Groundbreaking announcement, the start of their first human
clinical trial, known as the PRIME Study.
Now, with the green light from an independent review board,
Neuralink is set to implant their brain, computer interface
and paralysis patients to assess the device's safety and
functionality. And it's a big step for a
startup from Elon Musk that's been under both scrutiny and
highly anticipated. This is the moment many have
been waiting for, the pivot from animal testing to human testing.
According to Nerling's own blog, the prime study, short for
Precise Robotically Implanted Brain Computer Interface, will
be conducted over six years. The initial phase consists of 18
months of at home and clinic visits, followed by regular
followups over the next five years.
The target demographic includes individuals with quadriplegia
due to cervical spinal cord injuries, or lateral sclerosis,
commonly known as a LS. In this trial, they will have a
chip surgically inserted into the part of the brain that
controls the intention to move. This chip, placed by a robot,
will then transmit brain signals to an app, with the primary goal
of enabling the individual to control a computer cursor or a
keyboard solely through their thoughts.
Now let's break down what the PRIME study actually entails.
After getting the nod from the independent review board,
Neuralink is moving forward with this initiative Focused on the
practical application of brain computer interfaces, the
implanted chip is designed to communicate with an app which
will capture brain signals and translate them into actions.
The immediate objective here is to get paralysis patients a way
to control computer interfaces like cursors and keyboards
without physical input, just by thinking about it.
And the chip will be inserted by a robot into a specific region
of the brain that's responsible for the intention to move.
And it will be interesting to see how the technology evolves
as the study proceeds over the next six years.
Now the recruitment is open to people suffering from
quadriplegia due to spinal cord injuries or a LS.
The study is structured in such a way that it will be including
eighteen months of clinic visits and at home monitoring, followed
by five years of periodic follow up visits.
And Neurolink has chosen A gradual approach, which could be
a prudent decision given the sensitive nature of brain
implants in the required FDA oversight.
From what we've gathered, interested candidates can sign
up through a patient registry on Neurolink's website, providing
them a chance to be part of this experimental and potentially
life altering technology. Now, this announcement also puts
Nerlink in the limelight as a forerunner in the brain computer
interface arena. And despite the controversy
surrounding animal testing and the death of a monkey earlier
this year, the transition to human trials could be a pivotal
moment for both the company and the field of biotechnology.
And while the initial goal is somewhat modest, enabling
individuals to control a computer cursor or a keyboard,
what we're looking at here could be the cornerstone of something
much larger. And the technology has the
potential to help us better understand the human brain and
possibly provide breakthroughs in treating neurological
disorders, among other applications.
Though Neuralink has been in the works for approximately 5 years,
it's experiments so far have been limited to animal testing,
and these experiments have not been without controversy.
In 2022, one of the test monkeys died during project testing,
leading to increased scrutiny of Neuralink's practices.
And Elon Musk's inspiration for Neuralink, as reported in a book
by Walter Isaacson, comes from science fiction writers like
Lane Banks. There isn't is for a neural lace
technology that allows for seamless brain machine
interaction. Now, last May, the company
announced FDA clearance for its human clinical trials and
approval confirmed by the FDA Now.
Additionally, Neural Link raised $280 million in funding round
led by the Founders Fund. And Neural Link didn't have an
easy time getting approval for human testing.
Though. The FDA initially rejected
Neural Links request in 2022 due to concerns about implant
migration and potential brain tissue damage, and despite
previous announcements, it was only this year that they
obtained the green light for trials after addressing many of
the FD A's concerns. However, internal voices within
Neural Link have raised concerns that the company is hurrying its
technology to market, which they argue has resulted in negligent
animal testing in even a federal investigation.
Now ethical questions loom large, especially when it comes
to the treatment of test animals.
An advocacy group for ethical science research, the Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine, has called for an SEC
investigation into Elon Musk for possible securities fraud
related to his claims about the safety of neuro links.
Animal trials. Publicly disclosed health
records of the test monkeys showed significant health issues
post implant, including infections, brain swelling, and
more. Furthermore, Musk's claimed that
the monkeys were close to death have been criticized as
misleading or even blatantly false.
While the technology is captivating, Nur Lake has a long
journey ahead filled with challenges.
From securing additional FDA approvals to addressing ethical
concerns, the path isn't straightforward.
Other companies like Synchron Inc have already implanted
devices into the human brain, showing that neural link is not
alone in this high stakes race. The future of brain computer
interfaces is slowly materializing, but it remains a
complex insensitive area that demands the utmost caution.
Thank you for tuning into this episode of the Elon Musk
podcast. Say we've covered quite a lot
today discussing the promising yet controversial steps Neural
Link is taking toward human clinical trials.
To continue getting updates on all things related to Elon Musk,
including his ambitious projects and the challenges they face,
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