What once seemed like the realm of science fiction is now becoming a reality as startups around the globe conduct clinical trials on brain implants. These devices hold the potential to treat life-threatening conditions such as brain cancer, chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, incontinence, and tinnitus.
According to The Observer, this industry is rapidly expanding, with projections estimating it could reach a value of nearly $20 billion by the 2030s. This development comes on the heels of several other groundbreaking medical advancements, including an AI-driven melanoma vaccine and a study highlighting a protein’s ability to “halt,” “reverse,” and “repair” the damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
Brain implants are currently being tested in clinical trials to address severe health issues
In June 2024, The Guardian shared the story of Oran Knowlson, a British teenager suffering from severe epilepsy. He made history as the first individual to receive a brain implant, or “neurostimulator,” designed to control his epileptic seizures. The device works by sending electrical signals into his brain from beneath the skull, aiming to block the impulses that trigger seizures.
In the coming weeks, three more children with the same rare form of epilepsy are scheduled to receive similar implants. By next year, 22 children will have undergone the same procedure. If these trials are successful, the organizations backing the research plan to seek regulatory approval to advance the technology further.
The goal is for these devices to be available through the UK’s National Health Service within four to five years, and eventually become accessible worldwide.
Potential treatments for Parkinson’s, tinnitus, and rheumatoid arthritis
Beyond epilepsy, neural implants are being explored as potential treatments for a wide range of conditions, including brain cancer, chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, incontinence, and tinnitus.
The neural implants of 2024 are far more advanced than earlier versions. They not only decode the brain’s electrical activity but also regulate it, making them more effective and precise.
In California, companies are also testing devices to treat epilepsy. For example, NeuroPace’s device, though effective, is not rechargeable and requires surgical replacement every few years. Other devices, which are implanted in the chest with wires running to the brain, need to be refitted as a child grows.
Noland Armagh, the first recipient of a Neuralink device, demonstrated its capabilities by controlling a computer mouse cursor with his thoughts. Armagh, who is paralyzed from the neck down, likened the experience to being a Star Wars Jedi “using the Force.”
While devices funded by tech giants like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos are currently less advanced, capable of decoding signals without actively modulating them, the progress being made in this field is undeniable, and the industry continues to gain momentum.
A professor of engineering science noted, “When it comes to bringing these therapies to the NHS and distributing them globally, Europe and the UK are in a strong position to compete with the United States. It’s an even race, and we’re ready to pursue it.”
