Pittsburgh, April 1, 2022 – David Lacomis, MD, University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurology professor, will serve as the co-principal investigator at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) for the first U.S. clinical trial of a brain-computer interface.
UPMC is aiming to enroll three initial quadriplegic patients for this coming fall, and Dr. Lacomis says that this is a life-changing opportunity for them. In addition to creating a better quality of life, this kind of technology will reduce caregiver burden.
UPMC and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York will be the first to test the device, made by a New York City-based company called Synchron. Brain-computer interfaces allow a substitute for finger keyboard interactions for people that are paralyzed and don’t have the use of their fingers. It also replaces voice recognition, which isn’t available on all devices. For many people who are paralyzed, a brain-computer interface allows a seamless, eye-tracking way to communicate and use the computer.
In addition to Dr. Lacomis as the co-principal investigator, there are two other department physicians involved in the trial. Tawfiq Al-Lahham, MD, department assistant professor, will be involved with recruitment and monitoring patients and Sandra Narayanan, MD, department associate professor, will implant the device and monitor its safety. Melissa Ilnicki, RRT, RPSGT, is the research coordinator.
Dr. Lacomis says that eventually, “Someone could turn on their own lights, turn on their own TV, change the channels, turn on the stereo and us robotic arms. All sorts of things could be done with this technology.”
The device will need to undergo several more years of testing before the Food and Drug Administration can approve its commercial distribution.
