UHN to lead trial of Elon Musk’s brain interface

TORONTO – University Health Network has been selected as the first hospital in Canada to perform a pioneering neurosurgical procedure involving the Neuralink implantable device as part of the CAN-PRIME study, marking a significant milestone in the field of medical innovation. Neuralink is Elon Musk’s (pictured) brain-computer interface (BCI) startup; it recently received approval from Health Canada to begin recruiting for its first trial in Canada.

The Canadian project will involve the implantation of a wireless brain-computer interface (BCI) at UHN’s Toronto Western Hospital, the exclusive surgical site in Canada. The researchers have the go-ahead to recruit six patients for the trial, CTV News reported.

“We are incredibly proud to be at the forefront of this research advancement in neurosurgery,” said Dr. Kevin Smith, UHN’s president and CEO. “This progress is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our world-leading medical and research professionals, as well as our commitment to providing the most innovative and effective treatments for patients.

The goal of the CAN-PRIME Study (short for Canadian Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface), according to the study synopsis, is “to evaluate the safety of our implant (N1) and surgical robot (R1) and assess the initial functionality of our BCI for enabling people with quadriplegia to control external devices with their thoughts.”

Patients with limited or no ability to use both hands due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), may be eligible for the CAN-PRIME Study.

“This landmark surgery has the potential to transform and improve outcomes for patients who previously had limited options,” said Dr. Andres Lozano, the Alan and Susan Hudson cornerstone chair in Neurosurgery at UHN and lead of the CAN-PRIME study at UHN.

The procedure, which combines state-of-the-art technology and advanced surgical techniques, will be carried out by a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons, neuroscientists and medical experts at UHN.

“This is a perfect example of how scientific discovery, technological innovation, and clinical expertise come together to develop new approaches to continuously improve patient care,” said Dr. Brad Wouters, executive vice president of Science & Research at UHN. “As Canada’s No. 1 research hospital, we are proud to be leading this important trial in Canada that has the goal to improve the lives of individuals living with quadriplegia or ALS.”

The procedure has already generated significant attention within the medical community and further studies are planned to assess its long-term effectiveness and safety.

UHN is recognized for finding solutions beyond boundaries, achieving firsts and leading the development and implementation of the latest breakthroughs in healthcare to benefit patients across Canada, and around the world.

The Canadian trial mirrors Neuralink’s efforts in the U.S., where the company has already implanted the device in two patients as part of its Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface Study. It aims to assess the safety and functionality of Neuralink’s BCI technology for individuals with severe motor impairments.

Neuralink commenced its first human clinical trial in January 2024 by implanting a BCI device in a patient named Noland Arbaugh. Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter) at the time, “The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had granted approval to initiate human trials in May 2023.

By August 2024, the company reported that its second participant, referred to as “Alex,” had received his Neuralink implant. According to its official blog, Alex has been improving his ability to play video games and has started learning how to use computer-aided design software to work on 3D objects.

CTV News reported that the Canadian trial will use a two-ton (1.8-tonne) robot to implant 64 electrodes, each with 16 contacts, into the hand-motor areas of patients’ brains.

The idea is that the electrodes will transmit activity in those areas so that by thinking about movement, the patient can make connected devices move.

To be eligible, individuals must have severe quadriplegia due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or a spinal cord injury. They would have the surgery in Toronto and use the technology at home, said Dr. Lozano, who added he hopes to start in the new year.

As the sponsor, Neuralink designed the electrodes and implantation system and will be decoding signals from the electrodes, while the doctors will be responsible for patient selection, surgery safety and health monitoring.

Any procedure has risks and there is the possibility of complications, Dr. Lozano said. These include brain bleeds, infections, broken wires or wires that stop transmitting.