He has not been able to speak since 2003, when he was paralyzed at age 20 by a severe stroke after a terrible car crash.<\/p>\n
Now, in a scientific milestone, researchers have tapped into the speech areas of his brain \u2014 allowing him to produce comprehensible words and sentences simply by trying to say them. When the man, known by his nickname, Pancho, tries to speak, electrodes implanted in his brain transmit signals to a computer that displays his intended words on the screen.<\/p>\n
His first recognizable sentence, researchers said, was, \u201cMy family is outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
The achievement, published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine<\/a>, could eventually help many patients with conditions that steal their ability to talk.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is farther than we\u2019ve ever imagined we could go,\u201d said Melanie Fried-Oken, a professor of neurology and pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University, who was not involved in the project.<\/p>\n Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n "Getting a second chance to talk again.\u201d Researchers are using electrodes to tap into the speech areas of a paralyzed man's brain \u2014 allowing him to produce recognizable words and sentences simply by trying to say them. https:\/\/t.co\/yOU0bQ38kt<\/a><\/p>\n — Pam Belluck (@PamBelluck) July 14, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n