2026-04-13 00:00 United States Clinical Launch & Registration Translated from EN

Johns Hopkins launches INTENT trial of implant that reads and stimulates brain to help paralyzed control devices

Summary Johns Hopkins University has launched the INTENT clinical trial to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of an implantable device that records and stimulates different brain areas, enabling adults with disabling paralysis to control assistive devices and receive feedback. The trial is now recruiting participants with conditions including tetraplegia, ALS, brain stem stroke, and spinal cord injury. Johns Hopkins is a leading U.S. research university whose medical school is renowned in neuroscience. The trial was first posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on April 13, 2026, and is currently recruiting.

Why it matters This is an invasive BCI trial registered by Johns Hopkins University, testing an implant that both records and stimulates brain areas in people with paralysis from conditions such as tetraplegia and ALS. Now recruiting, the trial will assess whether the device can help patients control assistive devices and receive feedback. It is among the first studies of an implant that both records and stimulates, potentially enabling bidirectional interaction. Still at an early feasibility stage with limited sample size, it remains far from clinical application.

BCIwiki (bciwiki.com) — Johns Hopkins University has launched a clinical trial called INTENT to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of an implantable device that records and stimulates different areas of the brain, allowing adults with disabling paralysis to control assistive devices and receive feedback. The trial was first posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on April 13, 2026, and is currently recruiting participants.

The INTENT trial covers multiple causes of paralysis, including tetraplegia or tetraparesis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), brain stem stroke, spinal cord injury, and progressive muscular atrophy. The intervention under study is the INTENT Neural Interface System. The trial is sponsored by Johns Hopkins University and aims to test whether this invasive brain-computer interface can offer new assistive communication and control options for people with severe paralysis.

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Sources · 1

clinicaltrials.gov 2026-07-08

Blackrock Neurotech JHU Applied Physics Laboratory Johns Hopkins University Kennedy Krieger Institute Invasive BCI Tetraplegia United States

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Blackrock Neurotech → JHU Applied Physics Laboratory → Johns Hopkins University → Kennedy Krieger Institute →

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