CYKN News Cyberkinetics' BrainGate System Enables Thought-Driven Communication Device and Wheelchair Control for First Stroke Participant in Pilot Clinical Trial
FOXBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems, Inc. (OTCBB:CYKN) (Cyberkinetics)
announced that John P. Donoghue, Ph.D., Cyberkinetics’
Chief Scientific Officer, presented preliminary findings from three
participants in Cyberkinetics’ pilot trial of
the BrainGate Neural Interface System (BrainGate) at the Annual Meeting
of the Society for Neuroscience in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Donoghue
provided preliminary scientific results related to one of the
participants who is unable to move or speak due to a brainstem stroke.
This participant was able to achieve BrainGate-enabled control of a
communication device and to demonstrate the initial proof-of-concept of
the ability to remotely operate a wheelchair using her thoughts. In
addition, Dr. Donoghue reported that significant progress has been
achieved in the development of neural signal-control filters that
improve the speed and accuracy of the participant’s
cursor control.
“Throughout the study, we have used the
information we are gathering about the functionality of the BrainGate
System to enhance the system’s performance,
which has resulted in increased speed and accuracy of the participant’s
cursor control,” said John P. Donoghue, Ph.D.,
Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Cyberkinetics and Professor,
Department of Neuroscience at Brown University. “The
BrainGate System has a useful brain sensor with improved decoding and
interface software capable of controlling a computer cursor with click
action. The initial demonstration that BrainGate System can be used to
remotely operate a motorized wheelchair supports the breadth of the
technology’s ultimate potential, where the
same device can be used for the simple and relatively complex tasks that
are important in everyday life.”
“We continue to make progress toward
accomplishing the goals of the BrainGate pilot trials by generating data
to evaluate the level of useful control that participants can achieve
with the device and demonstrating its initial safety profile,”
commented Timothy R. Surgenor, Cyberkinetics’
President and Chief Executive Officer. “These
early results move us toward our ultimate goal of providing a fast,
reliable and unobtrusive connection between the brain of a severely
disabled person and a personal computer. Although a number of important
and difficult challenges remain to be overcome, we have now been able to
demonstrate that this powerful interface can be applied to operate a
variety of practical, external devices for those with a wide range of
nervous system conditions and injuries.”
Summary of Preliminary Results
In his abstract, “BrainGate neuromotor
prosthesis: First experience by a person with brainstem stroke,”
Dr. Donoghue presented preliminary results from three participants in
the pilot trial of the BrainGate System in those with spinal cord
injury, stroke and muscular dystrophy. Dr. Donoghue reported that
significant progress that has been achieved in the development of neural
signal-control filters that improve the speed and accuracy of the
participant’s cursor control. Due to these
improvements, the participant with a brainstem stroke was able to
operate a commercially available communications device, as well as
remote control of a motorized wheelchair using the BrainGate System and
her own thoughts. In addition, Dr. Donoghue noted that all four
participants in two separate pilot trials, including the first
participant in the BrainGate ALS clinical trial, were able to modulate
their own neural signals, or thoughts about movement, in order to
control a computer cursor, as well as other appliances such as
televisions and lamps.
In addition to his role as Chief Scientific Officer at Cyberkinetics,
Dr. Donoghue is a co-founder of Cyberkinetics and Professor and Director
of the Brain Science Program at Brown University.
A copy of Dr. Donoghue’s abstract is
available from Cyberkinetics’ website in the
Media Kit at www.cyberkineticsinc.com.
For specific information about BrainGate™
clinical trials please send an email to braingateinfo@cktrial.com.
About the BrainGate System
The BrainGate Neural Interface System is a proprietary, investigational
brain-computer interface (BCI) that consists of an internal sensor to
detect brain cell activity and external processors that convert these
brain signals into a computer-mediated output under the person's own
control. The sensor is a tiny silicon chip about the size of a baby
aspirin with one hundred electrodes, each thinner than a human hair,
that can detect the electrical activity of neurons. The sensor is
implanted on the surface of the area of the brain responsible for
movement, the motor cortex. A small wire connects the sensor to a
pedestal that is placed on the skull, extending through the scalp. An
external cable connects the pedestal to a cart containing computers,
signal processors and monitors that enable the study operators to
determine how well study participants can control devices driven by
their neural output – that is, by thought
alone. The ultimate goal of the BrainGate System development program is
to create a safe, effective and unobtrusive universal operating system
that will enable those with motor impairments resulting from a variety
of causes to quickly and reliably control a wide range of devices,
including computers, assistive technologies and medical devices, simply
by using their thoughts.
A pilot study of the BrainGate System is currently underway in those
with severe paralysis resulting from spinal cord injury (SCI), muscular
dystrophy, or with “locked-in”
syndrome (tetraplegia and the inability to speak) secondary to stroke. A
second pilot study is currently enrolling individuals with ALS or other
motor neuron diseases at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston,
Massachusetts.
About Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems, Inc.
Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems, Inc., a leader in the
neurotechnology industry, is developing neural stimulation, sensing and
processing technology to improve the lives of those with severe
paralysis resulting from spinal cord injuries, neurological disorders
and other conditions of the nervous system. Cyberkinetics’
product development pipeline includes: the Andara™
Oscillating Field Stimulator (OFS) Device, an investigative device
designed to stimulate regeneration of the neural tissue surrounding the
spinal cord; the BrainGate System, an investigative device designed to
provide communication and control of a computer, assistive devices, and,
ultimately, limb movement; and the FDA cleared-to-market NeuroPort™
System, a neural monitor designed for acute inpatient applications and
labeled for temporary (less than 30 days) recording and monitoring of
brain electrical activity. Additional Information is available at
Cyberkinetics’ website at http://www.cyberkineticsinc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements, including
statements about Cyberkinetics' product development plans and progress.
These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and can be identified
by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will,"
"believe," "expect," "anticipate" or other comparable terminology.
Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in
forward-looking statements and reported results shall not be considered
an indication of our future performance. Factors that might cause or
contribute to such differences include our limited operating history;
our lack of profits from operations; our ability to successfully develop
and commercialize our proposed products; a lengthy approval process and
the uncertainty of FDA and other governmental regulatory requirements;
clinical trials may fail to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of
our products; the degree and nature of our competition; our ability to
employ and retain qualified employees; compliance with recent
legislation regarding corporate governance, including the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002; as well as those risks more fully discussed in our public
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are
difficult to predict and some of which are beyond our control.
