Stroke Survivor Speaks Again Using Experimental Brain-Computer Implant
- tech360.tv
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
A 47-year-old woman who lost her ability to speak after a stroke 18 years ago has regained her voice with the help of an experimental brain-computer interface.
Scientists implanted the device in her brain as part of a clinical trial, allowing her to form fluent sentences in real time by translating her thoughts into speech.
The study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, was co-authored by Gopala Anumanchipalli of the University of California, Berkeley. He said the device “converts her intent to speak into fluent sentences.”
Unlike other brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that often delay speech output, this new system processes speech on the fly. It sends 80-millisecond chunks of brain activity—about half a syllable—into a recorder, enabling more natural conversation.
The implant sits on the brain’s speech centre and captures neural signals as the woman silently imagines speaking. These signals are then translated into speech using an artificial intelligence model trained on her pre-stroke voice.
Jonathan Brumberg of the University of Kansas, who was not involved in the study, called the development “a pretty big advance in our field.” He noted that the use of voice samples improves the naturalness of the speech output.
The system functions similarly to real-time transcription tools used in meetings or phone calls, but it is tailored to decode brain activity instead of audio.
Although the technology is still in the experimental stage, Anumanchipalli said it could become available to patients within a decade with continued investment.
The research was partially funded by the National Institutes of Health and was not affected by recent NIH budget cuts.
A brain implant helped a woman speak again after 18 years of silence
The device translates brain signals into speech in real time
AI was trained using her voice before the stroke
Source: AP NEWS