Teen epilepsy patient plays games via brain-computer interface implant

Recently, a Shanghai-based tech company, in collaboration with a research team from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT), conducted a high-precision real-time motion decoding clinical trial with support from the Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, China Science Daily reported. 

The 19-year-old patient with right frontal lobe epilepsy successfully received an implant of the company’s proprietary 256-channel flexible BCI. Post-surgery recovery progressed smoothly, with the patient entering the clinical trial phase two days later, according to the report.

Following the trial, the medical team utilized a 256-channel flexible BCI to precisely locate the epileptic foci and successfully performed a resection surgery on the lesions, protecting the patient’s motor function area and ensuring no functional impairments were left behind, according to China Science Daily. 

Following nearly 20 hours of cumulative training using classic paradigms, the patient achieved precise mind-controlled gameplay, even mastering video games like Honor of Kings and Black Myth: Wukong.

Zhou Zhitao, a researcher from SIMIT, said that the patient’s reaction speeds approached to those of conventional mouse usage by healthy individuals, offering hope for motor-impaired patients’ rehabilitation.

The next-generation wireless version of the BCI product developed by the tech company has already been fully designed and developed, while the vast majority of current BCIs still require power and data cables to connect to data processing devices. “Relevant clinical trials are expected to be conducted this year,” the company's founder said.