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Intuitive, complete neural control of tablet computers for communication

Award Number: U01DC017844
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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Project Summary Conventional augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices for people with severe speech and motor impairments (SSMI) rely on residual motor function, inherently limiting communication throughput. Commercially available AAC solutions require daily caregiver setup, need frequent recalibration often from a technically savvy caregiver, are often unable to be used in dark lighting conditions, and can encumber or fatigue important remaining physical abilities. Furthermore, for people with progressive motor dysfunction due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), even the most well-designed AAC devices will eventually fail as movements become unreliable. For people with brainstem stroke, ALS, and other disorders causing locked-in syndrome (LIS) or SSMI, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) hold promise as a method of enabling communication that does not rely upon speech or voluntary movement. In prior NIDCD-supported research, our BrainGate research team provided early proofs of principle of a powerful intracortical brain-computer interface (iBCI) that decodes movement intentions directly from brain activity. This technology has allowed people to control a cursor on a computer screen for communication simply by imagining movements of their own arm. The proposed NIDCD U01 clinical research will further the development and testing of a fully implanted iBCI that could provide robust, intuitive control of industry-grade communication apps for people with LIS or SSMI. By leveraging the ongoing pilot clinical trials of the investigational BrainGate system, we aim to (1) improve the robustness and accuracy of neurally actuated point-and click, in part through the translation of neuronal activity from human premotor and motor cortex, (2) expand the number of input dimensions to tablet computers available via neural activity, allowing intended hand gesture commands to control communication apps on touch-screen tablet computers, and (3) rigorously compare the performance of the investigational BrainGate system to trial participants’ conventional AAC systems with respect to communication competence, information throughput, user preference and outcomes measures. By incorporating the feedback of six individual participants with paralysis, this feasibility trial will optimize a powerful iBCI for communication and will establish the metrics needed for a subsequent pivotal trial of a fully implanted, always-available iBCI communication system for people with SSMI.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $976,505 )
2023	2023	BROWN UNIVERSITY	1 PROSPECT ST	PROVIDENCE	RI	02912	PROVIDENCE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	4	6/7/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$797,997
2023	2023	BROWN UNIVERSITY	1 PROSPECT ST	PROVIDENCE	RI	02912	PROVIDENCE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	4	6/8/2023	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$142,807
2023	2023	BROWN UNIVERSITY	1 PROSPECT ST	PROVIDENCE	RI	02912	PROVIDENCE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	3	5/19/2023	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$35,701
														Subtotal = $976,505

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $798,598 )
2022	2022	BROWN UNIVERSITY	1 PROSPECT ST	PROVIDENCE	RI	02912	PROVIDENCE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	004	3	6/9/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$798,598
2022	2021	BROWN UNIVERSITY	1 PROSPECT ST	PROVIDENCE	RI	02912	PROVIDENCE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	2	12/18/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2022	2021	BROWN UNIVERSITY	1 PROSPECT ST	PROVIDENCE	RI	02912	PROVIDENCE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	003	2	1/31/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2022	2021	BROWN UNIVERSITY	1 PROSPECT ST	PROVIDENCE	RI	02912	PROVIDENCE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	2	1/5/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2022	2021	BROWN UNIVERSITY	1 PROSPECT ST	PROVIDENCE	RI	02912	PROVIDENCE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	2	12/15/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $798,598

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $799,415 )
2021	2021	BROWN UNIVERSITY IN PROVIDENCE IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS	1 PROSPECT ST	PROVIDENCE	RI	02912	PROVIDENCE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	2	7/16/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$799,415
2021	2019	BROWN UNIVERSITY IN PROVIDENCE IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS	1 PROSPECT ST	PROVIDENCE	RI	02912	PROVIDENCE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	11/27/2020	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $799,415

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2020	2019	BROWN UNIVERSITY IN PROVIDENCE IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS	1 PROSPECT ST	PROVIDENCE	RI	02912	PROVIDENCE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	1/29/2020	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $837,287 )
2019	2019	BROWN UNIVERSITY IN PROVIDENCE IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS	1 PROSPECT ST	PROVIDENCE	RI	02912	PROVIDENCE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	1	8/30/2019	NEW	$0
2019	2019	BROWN UNIVERSITY IN PROVIDENCE IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS	1 PROSPECT ST	PROVIDENCE	RI	02912	PROVIDENCE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	8/28/2019	NEW	$837,287
														Subtotal = $837,287

Grand Total All Awards = $3,411,805

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Intuitive, complete neural control of tablet computers for communication

Award Number: U01DC017844

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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