Your Brain On... Brain-Computer Interfaces

16 snips

May 7, 2025

Guest

Sergey Stavisky

Leigh Hochberg, a leader in neurotechnology at Massachusetts General Hospital, David Brandman, co-director of UC Davis Neuroprosthetics Lab, and neural engineer Sergey Stavisky explore groundbreaking advancements in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). They discuss how BCIs restore speech and movement for individuals with paralysis, the ethical implications of neural data privacy, and the emotional journeys of patients involved in clinical trials. The conversation emphasizes the technology's potential while advocating for ethical and inclusive practices in this rapidly evolving field.

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ANECDOTE

Casey Harrell Speaks Again

Casey Harrell regained speech through a brain-computer interface despite severe ALS paralysis.
His first words with the device were, "Is this thing on?" showing the technology's emotional impact.

INSIGHT

BCI Fear Rooted in Sci-Fi

Society's fear of brain-computer interfaces stems from sci-fi myths like mind control.
These fears are natural but can be alleviated by understanding the life-changing benefits for patients.

INSIGHT

Continuous Early Disease Detection

Brain-computer interfaces enable continuous early disease detection beyond prevention.
This ubiquitous monitoring empowers people with unprecedented health insights and functional restoration.

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Restoring a person’s ability to speak, enabling individuals with paralysis to regain movement, and detecting neurodegenerative diseases earlier than ever — these are just some of the breakthroughs brain-computer interfaces are making possible.

In this episode, we explore the astonishing world of BCIs: technologies that are giving autonomy and independence back to people with diseases like ALS.

We discuss:

• How BCIs are helping people with neurodegenerative diseases and spinal cord injuries communicate using decoded brain signals • How brain-computer interfaces actually work (and why they’re NOT just reading your mind) • Why motor cortex implants may help decode speech, even when inserted in unexpected regions • The ethical challenges of privacy, data ownership, and access in the era of brain-connected devices • The future of the field, from restoring language after stroke to enabling communication in children with cerebral palsy

We speak with three world-leading researchers and clinicians who are helping shape this rapidly-advancing area of neuroscience:

• Dr. Leigh Hochberg, director of the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery at Massachusetts General Hospital, and principal clinical investigator of the pilot clinical trials of the BrainGate Neural Interface System.

• Dr. David Brandman, neurosurgeon and co-director of the UC Davis Neuroprosthetics Lab.

• Dr. Sergey Stavisky, neural engineer and co-director of the UC Davis Neuroprosthetics Lab.

For more information about the Braingate project, and to volunteer as a participant, visit: https://braingate.org/

This is... Your Brain On Brain-Computer Interfaces.

‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

‘Your Brain On... Brain-Computer Interfaces’ • SEASON 5 • EPISODE 3

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