A woman who was paralyzed and unable to speak for 18 years after a stroke has regained her voice and facial expressions thanks to a groundbreaking technology that uses a brain implant and artificial intelligence to translate her thoughts into speech and emotions.
Ann Johnson, a 59-year-old woman from Saskatchewan, Canada, suffered a stroke in 2005 that left her with locked-in syndrome, a condition that causes complete paralysis of voluntary muscles except for the eyes. She communicated by blinking or moving her eyes to select letters or words on a screen, a process that was slow and frustrating.
She participated in a research study led by Dr. David Moses, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco, that used a brain implant and artificial intelligence to translate her brain signals into speech and facial expressions through a digital avatar.
“This is a major milestone in restoring communication for people who can’t speak because of paralysis,” Dr. Moses said. “It’s the first time someone has been able to use their own voice and facial expressions to communicate with an avatar powered by their brain activity.”
The brain implant, called ECoG (electrocorticography), consists of a small electrode array that is surgically placed on the surface of the brain and records electrical activity from the speech cortex, the region that controls the movements of the mouth, tongue, jaw and larynx.
The artificial intelligence, called Neuroprosthesis for Speech (NPS), uses deep learning algorithms to decode the brain signals and generate synthetic speech and facial movements that match the intended words and emotions of the user.
The system allowed Johnson to communicate using a large vocabulary of over 50 words and her own voice, which was reconstructed from recordings before her stroke. The technology is faster and more accurate than previous methods that relied on eye movements or muscle contractions.
“I’m very happy to be part of this study,” Johnson said through the avatar. “It has given me hope and a way to express myself again. I feel like I have a voice and a face that reflects who I am.”
The research team, which included neuroscientists, neurosurgeons, engineers and speech pathologists from UCSF, Stanford University, Massachusetts General Hospital and Simon Fraser University, published their findings in the journal Nature on Wednesday.
The study is part of the BrainGate consortium, a collaboration of researchers who are developing brain-computer interfaces to restore communication and mobility for people with neurological disorders.
“This is a remarkable achievement that demonstrates the potential of brain-computer interfaces to restore communication for people with severe disabilities,” Dr. Edward Chang, co-author and neurosurgeon at UCSF, said. “It also shows how artificial intelligence can be used to enhance human capabilities and improve quality of life.”
The researchers hope to improve the system by increasing the vocabulary size, adding more natural prosody and intonation, and enabling more complex sentences and conversations.
They also plan to test the technology on more participants with different types of speech impairments, such as those caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or traumatic brain injury.
“This is not only a scientific breakthrough, but also a personal triumph for Ann,” Dr. Ryan D’Arcy, co-author and neuroscientist at Simon Fraser University, said. “She has shown incredible courage and perseverance throughout this journey. She is an inspiration to us all.”
The technology has also received praise from experts and advocates in the field of neurology and disability rights.
“This is a game-changer for people who have lost their ability to speak due to stroke or other neurological conditions,” Dr. Leigh Hochberg, co-author and neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, said. “It opens up new possibilities for communication and social interaction that were previously unimaginable.”
Relevant articles:
– Woman with paralysis speaks through an avatar 18 years after a stroke, thanks to a brain implant, Yahoo News, August 23, 2023
– AI brain implant helps Sask. woman speak for the 1st time in 18 years, Global News, August 24, 2023
– Nearly 20 years after a stroke, a paralyzed woman is able to speak again simply by thinking, thanks to AI, MSN, August 25, 2023
– A.I. Helps Paralyzed Woman Speak for First Time in 18 Years, Newsweek, August 25, 2023