PRIME Study Progress Update — Second Participant
PRIME 研究进展更新 — 第二位参与者

Last month, Alex,* the second participant in our PRIME Study,** received his Neuralink implant (Link). The surgery, conducted at the Barrow Neurological Institute, went well — Alex was discharged the following day, and his recovery has been smooth. With the Link, he has been improving his ability to play video games and began learning how to use computer-aided design (CAD) software to design 3D objects. This marks another significant step towards providing a high-performance interface that will enhance the control of digital devices for people with quadriplegia to help restore their autonomy.
上个月，亚历克斯，* 我们 PRIME 研究的第二位参与者，** 收到了他的 Neuralink 植入物（Link）。手术在巴罗神经科学研究所进行，进展顺利——亚历克斯在第二天出院，恢复情况良好。通过 Link，他提高了玩视频游戏的能力，并开始学习如何使用计算机辅助设计（CAD）软件来设计 3D 物体。这标志着向提供高性能接口迈出了又一重要一步，这将增强四肢瘫痪者对数字设备的控制，帮助恢复他们的自主性。

The overarching aim for the PRIME Study is to demonstrate that the Link is safe and useful in daily life, as noted in our last blog post. In this blog post, we share updates from the experience of our second participant across three key dimensions that support this aim:
PRIME 研究的总体目标是证明 Link 在日常生活中是安全且有用的，正如我们在上一个博客帖子中提到的。在这篇博客中，我们分享了第二位参与者在支持这一目标的三个关键维度上的经验更新：

1. Out-of-the-box experience
   开箱体验
2. Repertoire of capabilities
   能力库
3. Thread retraction mitigations
   线圈回缩缓解措施

From the first moment Alex connected his Link to his computer, it took less than 5 minutes for him to start controlling a cursor with his mind. Within a few hours, he was able to surpass the maximum speed and accuracy he’d achieved with any other assistive technology on our Webgrid task. Similar to Noland, our first participant, Alex broke the previous world record for brain-computer interface (BCI) cursor control with a non-Neuralink device on day one of using the Link. After the first research session concluded, Alex continued testing the capabilities of the Link independently, using it to play the first-person shooter game Counter-Strike 2.
从亚历克斯第一次将他的 Link 连接到电脑的那一刻起，他用心智控制光标的时间不到 5 分钟 。几个小时内，他就能够超越他在我们的Webgrid任务中使用任何其他辅助技术所达到的最大速度和准确性。与我们的第一位参与者诺兰类似，亚历克斯在使用 Link 的第一天就打破了非 Neuralink 设备的脑机接口（BCI）光标控制的世界纪录。在第一次研究会议结束后，亚历克斯继续独立测试 Link 的能力，使用它来玩第一人称射击游戏Counter-Strike 2。

Alex enjoys building things. Before his spinal cord injury, he worked as an automotive technician, fixing and tinkering with various types of vehicles and large machinery. Since then, he has wanted to learn how to design 3D objects using computer-aided design (CAD) software so he could work on projects without needing to rely extensively on his support system. However, the level of control offered by his assistive technologies made this challenging.
亚历克斯喜欢建造东西。在他的脊髓受伤之前，他是一名汽车技术员，修理和调整各种类型的车辆和大型机械。自那时以来，他一直想学习如何使用计算机辅助设计（CAD）软件设计 3D 物体，以便他可以在项目上工作，而不需要过多依赖他的支持系统。然而，他的辅助技术所提供的控制水平使这变得具有挑战性。

On day two of using the Link, Alex used the CAD software Fusion 360 for the first time and managed to design a custom mount for his Neuralink charger, which was then 3D printed and integrated into his setup. We are working with Alex to increase his productivity with the Link by mapping intended movements to different types of mouse clicks (e.g., left, right, middle), thereby expanding the number of controls he has and enabling him to quickly switch between various modes in CAD software (e.g., zoom, scroll, pan, click-and-drag). 
在使用 Link 的第二天，亚历克斯第一次使用 CAD 软件 Fusion 360，成功设计了一个自定义支架，用于他的Neuralink 充电器，然后进行了 3D 打印并集成到他的设置中。我们正在与亚历克斯合作，通过将预期的动作映射到不同类型的鼠标点击（例如，左键、右键、中键），来提高他使用 Link 的生产力，从而扩展他拥有的控制数量，并使他能够在 CAD 软件中快速切换各种模式（例如，缩放、滚动、平移、点击并拖动）。

In his free time, Alex continues to use CAD software to turn his design ideas into reality. We hope that in time, the Link helps many people create in their areas of interest and expertise, and we’re excited to work with more people to help them reconnect with their passions.
在空闲时间，亚历克斯继续使用 CAD 软件将他的设计理念变为现实。我们希望随着时间的推移，Link 能够帮助许多人在他们感兴趣和擅长的领域进行创作，我们也很高兴能与更多人合作，帮助他们重新连接自己的热情。

Alex also enjoys playing first-person shooter games, which generally require the use of numerous inputs, including two separate joysticks (one for aiming and the other for moving) and an array of buttons. Before receiving the Link, Alex enjoyed playing these games using an assistive device called the Quadstick — a mouth operated joystick with sip-and-puff pressure sensors and a lip position sensor for clicking. However, a key limitation of the controller is that it only has one joystick, restricting Alex to either moving or aiming at any given time. Switching from moving to aiming involves letting go of the joystick and then sipping or puffing into a separate straw to toggle the functionality. Now, Alex is able to use the Link in combination with his Quadstick to move and aim simultaneously, unlocking a more intuitive gameplay experience. 

With our first participant, Noland, we observed a degree of thread retraction that temporarily reduced his BCI performance. The threads have stabilized, and the performance of Noland’s Link has since recovered — more than doubling the prior world record for BCI cursor control. 

To reduce the probability of thread retraction in our second participant, we implemented a number of mitigations, including reducing brain motion during the surgery and reducing the gap between the implant and the surface of the brain. We discussed these measures in greater detail in our live update prior to our second participant’s surgery. 

Promisingly, we have observed no thread retraction in our second participant.

To further enhance our participants’ experience using their digital devices, we are continuing to expand the controls that are available to them. We are working on decoding multiple clicks and multiple simultaneous movement intents to deliver full mouse and video game controller functionality. We are also developing algorithms to recognize handwriting intent to enable faster text entry. These capabilities would not only help restore digital autonomy for those who are unable to use their limbs, but also restore the ability to communicate for those who are unable to speak, such as people with neurological conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Additionally, we plan to enable the Link to interact with the physical world, allowing users to feed themselves and move more independently by controlling a robotic arm or their wheelchair.

If you are excited to restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs, consider applying to our open roles. If you are interested in shaping the future of assistive technologies by participating in a Neuralink clinical trial, please join our Patient Registry.

* Name shared at the request of the participant.

** The PRIME Study — an investigational medical device trial for our fully implantable, wireless brain-computer interface (BCI) — aims to evaluate the safety of our implant and surgical robot, and assess the initial functionality of our BCI for enabling people with quadriplegia to control external devices with their thoughts. We do not guarantee any benefit by participating in the PRIME Study.