Neuroscience

The Translation Era | December 2025

Brain-computer interfaces have entered what researchers call "the translation era." By October 2025, 13 people had received Neuralink implants. Paradromics won FDA approval for speech restoration trials. In August 2025, Stanford researchers demonstrated that BCIs can decode inner speech—unuttered thoughts—with robust accuracy. Scientists mapped 84,000 neurons in the first precise 3D connectome of a mammal's brain. The field is graduating from experimental status to clinical reality.

Brain-Computer Interfaces in 2025

Neuralink: 13 Patients and Counting

Neuralink's PRIME Study evaluates the N1 implant for adults with quadriplegia from spinal cord injury or ALS. The implant places 1,024 electrodes across 128 flexible threads into the motor cortex.

• Noland Arbaugh (January 2024) - First recipient, controlled laptop while lying in bed
• Alex (August 2024) - Played Counter-Strike 2, controlling mouse and keyboard simultaneously
• Bradford Smith (January 2025) - First patient with ALS and first non-verbal patient

Neuralink plans 20-30 additional implants in 2025, expanding to Canada, UK, Germany, and UAE. FDA Breakthrough Designation for both speech restoration and Blindsight (vision restoration).

Inner Speech Decoding (August 2025)

Stanford Medicine scientists developed a BCI that detects inner speech from speech-impaired patients. Published in Cell, the study found that inner speech evokes clear patterns of neural activity similar to—but smaller than—attempted speech patterns. This suggests future systems could restore fluent, rapid communication via inner speech alone, without requiring patients to attempt to speak.

Record-Breaking Accuracy

UC Davis researchers developed a BCI that translates brain signals into speech with up to 97% accuracy—the most accurate system of its kind. On the first day of use, with only 30 minutes of training data, their system achieved 99.6% word accuracy on a 50-word vocabulary. By day two, with 1.4 hours of training, accuracy reached 90.2% on a 125,000-word vocabulary.

The participant used the brain-to-text speech neuroprosthesis to converse with family, friends, healthcare professionals, and colleagues.

Synchron: First Commercially Scalable BCI

Synchron's Stentrode implants through blood vessels rather than open brain surgery. In a four-patient trial, participants with paralysis controlled computers using thought alone. After 12 months: no serious adverse events, no blood vessel blockages. Partnership with Apple and NVIDIA; moving toward pivotal trial.

Paradromics and China

In November 2025, Paradromics announced FDA approval for the Connexus clinical study—evaluating speech restoration for people with ALS or stroke. In Shanghai, a paralyzed patient named Mr. Zhang received a wireless BCI in June 2025 and was controlling devices within five days—becoming the first known BCI trial participant to perform paid remote work using a brain-controlled cursor.

Mapping the Brain

The Mouse Brain Connectome

In a decade-long effort involving 150 scientists at 22 institutions, the Allen Institute led creation of the first precise 3D map of a mammal's brain:

• 84,000 neurons
• 200,000 brain cells
• 500 million synapses
• 3.4 miles (5.4 km) of neuronal wiring

The team sliced the brain into 28,000 layers; Princeton researchers used AI to trace each neuron. Dr. Sebastian Seung called it "the beginning of the digital transformation of brain science."

Brain Knowledge Platform

The Allen Institute released the Brain Knowledge Platform—the most comprehensive AI tool for neuroscience. AWS engineered the computing infrastructure; Google developed AI models. The platform unifies brain data from dozens of collaborators, multiple species, and samples spanning early development to old age.

Where to Find Neuroscience Research

Data Portals

• Allen Brain Atlas Portal - Gene expression, connectivity, cell types
• ConnectomeDB - Human brain connectivity data
• NIH BRAIN Initiative - Federal neuroscience coordination

Clinical Trial Information

• ClinicalTrials.gov - Registry of BCI and neuroscience trials
• Neuralink Updates - Trial progress and patient outcomes

Why Neuroscience Shares

Data scale. Modern brain imaging produces massive datasets. The mouse connectome required slicing a brain into 28,000 layers. Sharing enables analyses no single lab could perform.

Mission-driven funding. Major funders like the Allen Institute, NIH, and Wellcome Trust require or encourage data sharing. The Allen Institute built its entire model on making brain data freely available.

The result: the most detailed brain maps ever created are freely available. The connectome that took 150 scientists a decade to build? Anyone can explore it. The BCI breakthroughs enabling paralyzed patients to type with their thoughts? Published openly so other researchers can build on them.