Health
Paralyzed man with ALS is third to receive NeuraLink implant, can type with brain
Brad Smith, an Arizona husband and father with ALS, has become the third person to receive Neuralink, the brain implant made by Elon Musk’s company.
He is also the first ALS patient and the first non-verbal person to receive the implant, he shared in a post on X on Sunday.
“I am typing this with my brain. It is my primary communication,” Smith, who was diagnosed in 2020, wrote in the post, which was also shared by Musk. He went on to thank Musk.
Smith is completely paralyzed and relies on a ventilator to breathe. He created a video using the brain-computer interface (BCI) to control the mouse on his MacBook Pro, he stated.
“This is the first video edited with [Neuralink], and maybe the first edited with a BCI,” he said.
“Neuralink has given me freedom, hope and faster communication.”
The video was narrated by Smith’s “old voice,” he said, which was cloned by artificial intelligence from recordings before he lost the use of his voice.
“I want to explain how Neuralink has impacted my life and give you an overview of how it works,” he said.
An Arizona husband and father with ALS has become the third person to receive Neuralink, the brain implant made by Elon Musk’s company. (Getty Images)
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, according to The ALS Association.
Over time, the disease impairs muscle control until the patient becomes paralyzed. ALS is ultimately fatal, with an average life expectancy of three years, although 10% of patients can survive for 10 years and 5% live 20 years or longer.
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It does not impact cognitive function.
Neuralink, which is about 1.75 inches thick, was implanted in Smith’s motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls body movement.
The implanted device captures neuron firings in the brain and sends a raw signal to the computer.
Neuralink is made by Elon Musk’s company of the same name. (Getty Images)
“AI processes this data on a connected MacBook Pro to decode my intended movements in real time to move the cursor on my screen,” Smith said.
“Neuralink has given me freedom, hope and faster communication,” he added. “It has improved my life so much. I am so happy to be involved in something big that will help many people.”
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Smith is also a man of faith, saying that he believes God has put him in this position to serve others.
“I have not always understood why God afflicted me with ALS, but with time, I am learning to trust His plan for me,” he said.
“God loves me and my family. He has answered our prayers in unexpected ways. He has blessed my kids and our family. So I’m learning to trust that God knows what he is doing.”
The wireless device was implanted in Smith’s motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls body movement. (iStock)
Smith also said he is grateful that he gets to work with the “brilliant people” at Neuralink and do “really interesting work.”
“Don’t get me wrong, ALS still really sucks, but I am talking about the big picture,” he said. “The big picture is, I am happy.”
Dr. Mary Ann Picone, medical director of the MS Center at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey, applauded Neuralink’s capabilities.
“This is an amazing development that now the third person to use Neuralink has gained the ability with the use of AI to type with neural thoughts,” Picone, who was not involved in Smith’s care, told Fox News Digital.
“The now-realized potential of Neuralink is to allow patients with quadriplegia to control computers and mobile devices with their thoughts.”
“For every Brad Smith out there, there are hundreds of thousands of other disabled patients awaiting access to this technology,” a neurologist said. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
There are some risks involved with the implant, Picone noted. These include surgical infection, bleeding and damage to the underlying brain tissue.
“But the benefits are that patients who are paralyzed would have the potential to restore personal control over the limbs by using their thoughts,” she said.
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Dr. Peter Konrad, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the department of neurosurgery at WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in West Virginia, called Neuralink a “remarkable demonstration of the power of AI-driven technology.”
“Mr. Smith is an incredible hero for those who are severely disabled from diseases such as ALS,” Konrad, who also was not involved in Smith’s care, told Fox News Digital.
“Mr. Smith is an incredible hero for those who are severely disabled from diseases such as ALS.”
Konrad also spoke of the advancements that have occurred since the past generations of BCI technology.
“It is encouraging to see faster progress being made with neural devices reaching clinical trials in the past five to 10 years,” he said. “However, we are still awaiting development of a BCI device that does not require a team of engineers and experts to customize each and every severely disabled patient with this technology.”
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“For every Brad Smith out there, there are hundreds of thousands of other disabled patients awaiting access to this technology,” he said.
“This video demonstrates the safety of these types of devices — now it’s time to provide larger access to these devices through a new generation of educated physicians, engineers and manufacturers able to deploy this technology.”
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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