Brain implants are an interface between the brain and a machine. The objective for the individual is to be able to control by thought a machine like an exoskeleton or a computer. But what are the effects on the brain? A large-scale clinical trial, the longest ever, was conducted to test the potential adverse effects of brain implants.
Brain implants allow the craziest dreams: restore memory, walk when it was no longer possible, regain speech to communicate once more… Whether to compensate for a disability or to increase an individual’s abilities healthy, everything seems possible thanks to brain implants. But is the use of these devices completely safe? What are the potential side effects of these devices? A team from the United States worked on the subject. Their results were published in the journal Neurology.
The trial was conducted on 14 people (eleven men and three women), aged 18 to 75. The reasons for placing a brain implant were various: tetraplegia, Charcot’s disease, stroke (strokestroke)…Each subject had a brain implant for at least two years (up to five years for some). Six subjects died during the clinical trial as a result of their pathologypathologybut none died as a result of implant placement, and none of the individuals in the trial requested or required the implant to be removed.
Various adverse effects
Adverse effects were reported by all participants. The majority of the events described, approximately 80%, were not directly related to the implant, but were rather caused by the person’s underlying pathology (pneumoniapneumonia, urinary tract infectionurinary tract infection…). The most frequently reported effects directly related to brain implants were irritation or discomfort cutaneouscutaneous at the incision area. One case of superficial skin infection was reported (no case of infection in the brainbrain). The most serious adverse reaction was an epileptic seizure (reported in three patients). However, for each of them, the crisis was successfully managed and the trial was able to continue.
While these results are rather encouraging, they have certain limitations. Indeed, there was no control group in the trial (patients with surgerysurgery intracranial but without implant placement for example). Also, only one brand of implants was tested. Moreover, even if the durationduration of the study is long (two years), the numbers are limited (14 subjects). Further research is still needed before it can be concluded that brain implants are safe. Nevertheless, the possibilities they offer to patients are such that they might well tip the balance of benefits/risks in favor of benefits.
