Researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center-Ichilov Hospital allowed a silent participant to “speak” by simply imagining the vocalization of syllables. This was done by implanting sensors deep in the patient’s brain, then using machine learning to “teach” the sensors how to interpret specific brain signals to indicate what the patient wished to express. A computer then displayed the desired word.

The neuroprosthesis study, spearheaded by Dr. Ariel Tankus of Tel Aviv University and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center-Ichilov Hospital, and Dr. Ido Strauss, also of Ichilov, was recently published in the peer-reviewed Neurosurgery journal. A neuroprosthesis is a device that connects the nervous system to a prosthetic or an external device to restore lost sensory, motor, or cognitive functions.

“This study is a significant step toward developing a brain-computer interface that can replace the brain’s control pathways for speech production, allowing completely paralyzed individuals to communicate voluntarily with their surroundings once again,” said Tankus.