# Single-neuron population dynamics in human speech motor cortex for a speech prosthesis

> **NIH NIH U01** · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $1,134,555

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology for people with severe speech
and motor impairment (SSMI) continues to improve, with recent advances being made in the
neural control of communication devices. In prior NIDCD-supported research, our research
team developed a high-performance intracortical brain-computer interface (iBCI) that decodes
arm movement intentions directly from brain activity. This technology has allowed people with
SSMI to control a computer cursor with sufficient speed and accuracy to type at up to 8
words/min and has enabled full control of unmodified consumer devices using only decoded
motor cortical activity. In the proposed U01 clinical research, performed as part of the multi-site
BrainGate consortium, we will build upon decades of experience in studying the motor system in
humans and non-human primates, with the end goal of advancing iBCI technology. The goals of
this project are to study how speech is prepared and produced at the level of ensembles of
single neurons in speech-related motor areas of the brain in people with amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS), and to create a speech prosthesis that will allow communication at rates
approaching conversational speech (120-150 words per minute). We will approach these
investigations with a suite of advanced methods, including (1) newly-developed dynamical
systems computational approaches that have provided fundamental insights into the function of
the motor system, and (2) machine learning algorithms for decoding of movement intention and
language modeling that have formed the basis of the fastest communication prosthesis yet
reported. Finally, we will continue to evaluate the safety profile of Utah-array based iBCIs
through the ongoing BrainGate2 pilot clinical trial. Upon completion, this project will advance
both the capabilities of iBCIs for communication and our understanding of the detailed neural
mechanisms of speech production.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10460425
- **Project number:** 5U01DC019430-02
- **Recipient organization:** STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Shaul Druckmann
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,134,555
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-08-02 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10460425

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10460425, Single-neuron population dynamics in human speech motor cortex for a speech prosthesis (5U01DC019430-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10460425. Licensed CC0.

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