One signal

BrainGate pioneer John Donoghue has joined Subsense as a scientific adviser, guiding the company’s work on brain-computer interfaces that aim to avoid surgically implanted electrodes. The company says both programmes remain preclinical, so this is a research appointment, not a treatment on the launchpad.

Subsense is developing magnetically activated nanoparticles for targeted brain stimulation, initially aimed at Parkinson’s disease, and a separate neural-sensing programme intended to support communication for people with ALS. Donoghue’s advice will focus on whether the particles can be localised and activated precisely, and whether that produces the intended biological effect. The practical significance is the attempt to connect brain activity with computing without implanted electrodes. The difficult proof is still ahead: the company describes work in animals, not demonstrated benefit for people. A brain interface without surgery is an intriguing proposition; biology, as ever, gets a vote.

Discuss: Should non-surgical brain-computer interfaces be judged by their potential early, or only once they show reliable results in people?

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