Brain implant that could restore speech enters clinical trials 

Developed by the neurotechnology company Paradromics, Connexus is a new brain-computer interface that can decode signals from neurones in the brain and translate them into real-time speech. This could revolutionise the lives of individuals with motor impairments affecting their ability to speak, for example sufferers of Parkinson’s disease and cerebral palsy.  

Connexus, the brain-computer interface implant. Credit: Paradromics

For the last 30 years, researchers have been developing a neurotechnology called “brain-computer interface” (BCI), which records neural activity and collects “brain data”. By learning what patterns of neural activity correspond to the intended sound, BCI technologies can be used to generate speech. However, non-invasive BCI technologies are limited – current systems are slow and translations can be inaccurate.  

“For the field to move forward… a fully implantable system is the only way to go,” says Mariska Vansteensel, a BCI researcher at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands. 

So, how does Connexus work?  

An array of tiny electrodes is implanted in the motor cortex, the region of the brain responsible for movement. The electrodes gather electrical signals from individual neurones, which are transmitted to a small external computer programmed with advanced language models and AI. The patient imagines what they want to say, and the computer analyses the neural patterns and translates them into words – this could be in the form of text on a screen or synthesised speech.  

How does Connexus work? Credit: Paradromics 

Paradromics is the first company to have clinical trials for an implanted BCI system approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. In early 2026, two volunteers will undergo surgery to have electrodes implanted in the motor cortex area that controls the lips, tongue, and larynx. Participants will be asked to imagine speaking, and to imagine hand movement to control a computer cursor. Researchers hope they can also replicate complex mouse and keyboard hand actions, so that users may operate digital devices like computers. 

Depending on initial results, the trial could extend to ten volunteers, with an additional cortical implant to improve detail of signals and allow access to other parts of the brain. If it passes clinical trials, Connexus could be a long-term solution to restore speech in patients, allowing them to communicate independently and vastly improving their quality of life.   

“We’re very excited about bringing this new hardware into a trial,” says Matt Angle, chief executive of Paradromics.   

Photos from https://www.paradromics.com/ 

By Marina Milsum on December 11, 2025