A clinical trial from Synchron found the medtech company's brain implant was effective for long-term use in four patients with severe paralysis.
Five things to know:
1. The study, published Jan. 9 in JAMA Neurology, evaluated the Stentrode deice in four patients over 12 months.
2. None of the four patients had persistent neurological deficits, and there weren't any clots or migration of the device, according to a Jan. 9 news relase from Synchron. The device's signal quality remained stable with no significant deterioration.
3. The patients were able to use Stentrode for digital activities including texting, emailing, online shopping and communicating care needs.
4. "The SWITCH study is an early demonstration of safety in a low number of participants using a commercial grade brain-computer interface. The decoder was simple and robust, meaning that patients didn’t have to train hard to execute switches," Tom Oxlet, MD, PhD, CEO and founder of Synchron, said in the release. "ur view is that a motor neuroprosthesis should be safe and easy to use. Digital switches controlled by motor intent could translate into a meaningful restoration of motor capability for patients with paralysis and the return of things we take for granted, like texting loved ones or turning on a light."
5. Synchron is also enrolling for an ongoing study to assess Stentrode in spinal cord injury patients.