Brain-Computer Interfaces Enter Clinical Practice: Transforming Healthcare and Rehabilitation

Source: People's Daily

Original Title: From Science Fiction Scenes to Clinical Applications——Brain-Computer Interface Accelerates "Integration" into Health (Health Focus)Equipped with a smart bionic hand, amputees can easily pick up a water cup to drink;高位截瘫 patients use their thoughts to move the computer cursor, control a wheelchair, and command a robotic dog to fetch takeout...In recent years, with consecutive breakthroughs in neural signal processing, biocompatible materials, artificial intelligence and other technologies, brain-computer interfaces have begun to move from science fiction scenarios to clinical applications, bringing new possibilities for the treatment and rehabilitation of many patients.New Hope。On January 1 this year, as China's first brain-computer interface medical device standard was officially implemented, brain-computer interfaces once again became a hot topic in the market. What is the prospect of brain-computer interfaces, and what can they bring to health? How to break through bottlenecks and accelerate clinical applications? Reporters conducted interviews on this matter.Non-invasive: Restore partial human body functions"As if I had turned intoRobot"The moment I thought about it, my foot really moved." This was Mr. Pei's feeling from Tianjin when he first wore the "Shengong—Shenxing" exoskeleton device.Mr. Pei suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage, resulting in right-sided hemiplegia. Due to his inability to stand and walk with his right leg, his daily activities are now reliant on a wheelchair.The team from Tianjin University's Brain-Computer Interface and Human-Machine Symbiosis Haihe Laboratory (hereinafter referred to as "Haihe Laboratory") conducted more than two weeks of brain-controlled exoskeleton walking rehabilitation training for Mr. Pei. Afterwards, his gait improved significantly, with notable enhancements in walking stability and endurance. He is now able to walk independently for short distances."Shengong-Shenxing" Exoskeleton Device is a non-invasive brain-computer interface product independently developed by the Haihe Laboratory team. The team has also developed equipment such as "Shengong-Shenji" and "Shengong-Shenjia," which can effectively help stroke patients rehabilitate motor functions of the hand and arm, having served more than 3,000 patients cumulatively; among consumer-oriented products, the Zhongdian Yunnao Guoxin Brain-Computer Intelligent Headband has entered mass production. With its "cloud-edge-end" intelligent architecture and precise multi-dimensional state recognition capabilities, the product has been successfully applied in scenarios such as fatigue driving warnings and concentration training.Brain-computer interface technology is also benefiting people with disabilities.In front of a piano, Mr. Gu skillfully played a melodious piano piece. Amidst the "click-clack" mechanical sounds, he used his mind to control the independent movement of all five fingers of the BrainCo smart bionic hand, which, together with his healthy right hand, performed this piece at two beats per second. Afterwards, he gently picked up an orange with the bionic hand and even lifted a 10-kilogram dumbbell."This hand doesn't require surgical implantation and can be controlled through intuitive thoughts, as if my left hand has come back," Mr. Gu said. Eight years ago, he lost his left hand in an accident, which caused great inconvenience in his life. After wearing the smart bionic hand, he can easily perform activities such as typing, cooking, and drinking water.This intelligent bionic hand is a non-invasive brain-computer interface device developed and produced by BrainCo. The wearer can control the prosthesis with their mind to perform daily tasks. Han Bicheng, founder and CEO of BrainCo, introduced that the company's technology has helped tens of thousands of physically disabled individuals in and outside of China to live and work normally."Brain-computer interfaces can be divided into non-invasive and invasive (including semi-invasive) based on the implantation method. The advantages of non-invasive brain-computer interface technology are that it is non-invasive, safe, and has higher compatibility," said Cao Yong, Director of the Clinical and Translational Ward for Brain-Computer Interfaces at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, and Executive Deputy Director of the Neurosurgery Center. He analyzed that this technology is relatively easier to achieve and is already being used by many patients, such as stroke and spinal cord injury patients undergoing rehabilitation training, and amputees restoring limb function by wearing smart prosthetics. Currently, China's non-invasive brain-computer interface technology is at an internationally advanced level.Invasive: Helping Paralyzed Patients RecoverLittle Rui, who is paralyzed in all four limbs, "put his mind to work," and the mechanical arm fixed on the table slowly brought a glass of water to his mouth. As Little Rui drank the water, tears of excitement glistened in his eyes, and a long-absent joy spread across his face.In February 2025, the neurosurgery team at Peking University First Hospital successfully implanted the "BeiNao No.1" brain-computer interface in Xiao Rui, a 30-year-old patient. On the fifth day after the surgery, Xiao Rui recovered well. The research team tested the "BeiNao No.1" and guided Xiao Rui through training. Soon, Xiao Rui was able to control a robotic arm with his mind to drink water."The 'Beijing Brain One' intelligent brain-computer system has 128 channels, and its signal acquisition accuracy, signal transmission, and processing performance are all at world-leading levels," introduced Luo Minmin, the director of the Beijing Institute of Brain Science and Brain-like Intelligence. This system, through a miniature internal device, portable external device, and software algorithms, can bring hope of rehabilitation to patients with spinal cord injuries, stroke, ALS, or other motor or speech function disorders. Currently, the 'Beijing Brain One' intelligent brain-computer system has completed six human implants, assisting patients in achieving limb movement and speech function substitution and rehabilitation.In addition, the "BrainCo One" intelligent brain-computer system stimulates the patient's hand muscles by releasing electrical signals to perform actions such as clenching fists, flexing wrists, and extending wrists. Through long-term training and reinforcement, it can prevent muscle atrophy and significantly improve the patient’s chances of rehabilitation. After six months of training, Xiaorui's originally paralyzed hand was able to grasp wooden blocks and pinch marbles between fingers. Eleven months after the surgery, Xiaorui's overall recovery was good, with continuous improvement in upper limb motor function.Cao Yong said that invasive brain-computer interfaces involve placing functional devices inside the human body, whether under the scalp or beneath the skull, which requires creating incisions to monitor brain signals. Compared to non-invasive methods, the advantage lies in obtaining higher quality signals, but it demands more advanced technology and presents greater surgical difficulty.Clinical Application: Collaborative Innovation Breaks Through BottlenecksFrom leading the first Phase III multicenter clinical trial in China for brain-computer interface treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy, to completing epidural brain-computer interface surgery, and then to wireless implantable speech decoding brain-computer interface surgery... Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University is actively exploring innovative brain-computer interface therapies in several major disease areas including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, and ALS.Since 2025, the热度 of brain-computer interfaces has continued to rise. Some believe that with brain-computer interfaces, paralyzed individuals can live like normal people. However, Zhao Guoguang, Director of the National Center for Neurological Diseases and President of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, remains cautious. He believes that brain-computer interface technology is still mainly in the clinical trial stage and cannot solve all patient problems. For instance, in the case of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), current brain-computer interface technology cannot halt the degenerative disease process but can only help patients regain partial speech function, not a cure."Whether invasive or non-invasive, brain-computer interfaces have demonstrated clear application value in the rehabilitation of motor dysfunction, diagnosis and treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders, hearing rehabilitation, and other health-related fields, showing broad prospects," said Ming Dong, Vice President of Tianjin University and Director of the Haihe Laboratory. The brain has 80 to 100 billion neurons, each connected to tens of thousands of other neurons. Human understanding of the brain is still far from sufficient, and large-scale recording, accurate decoding, and encoding remain challenging. In recent years, brain-computer interface technology has developed rapidly, but there are still bottlenecks in the practical application of this technology.In fact, brain-computer interface technology, especially invasive types, still has a long way to go from clinical trials to true clinical applications. For instance, how to reliably, stably, and durably obtain EEG signals after implantation; how the target for implantation should be selected; how to achieve long-term compatibility between the implant and brain tissue to ensure greater safety for patients… These issues continue to challenge experts.Guoguang Zhao believes that the key to promoting brain-computer interface technology "from 0 to 1" breakthrough and "from 1 to N" wide application is to build a collaborative innovation ecosystem involving medical, industrial, academic, research, and user sectors. Medical institutions should actively propose clinical needs and open clinical resources for research units and enterprises to validate new technologies; research institutes and universities must proactively collaborate with clinical entities to quickly integrate the latest achievements into applications; enterprises need to closely cooperate with medical teams from the early stage of research and development, develop products according to clinical needs, and provide engineering and industrialization support.In May 2025, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, in collaboration with multiple research institutions across China, co-established a clinical and translational ward for brain-computer interface (BCI), focusing on scientific research, clinical trials, and promoting the transformation of related technological achievements. In April 2025, the comprehensive clinical experimental ward for brain-computer interfaces, developed through a partnership between Tianjin University's Haihe Laboratory and Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, began construction, systematically deploying comprehensive BCI clinical solutions for various types of severe neurological conditions… The ecosystem for collaborative innovation in brain-computer interfaces is rapidly taking shape.Policy Support: Better Serve People's HealthThe interviewed experts believe that the application of brain-computer interface in the health field is still in its infancy, facing issues such as medical device review and approval, lack of service charge standards, and medical insurance access. There is an urgent need to introduce and implement relevant policies to address these problems specifically."The 15th Five-Year Plan proposal suggests 'promoting quantum technology, biomanufacturing, hydrogen energy and nuclear fusion, brain-computer interfaces, embodied intelligence, and sixth-generation mobile communications to become new economic growth points.' Since 2025, China has introduced a series of policy measures to push brain-computer interfaces towards clinical application."In March 2025, under the guidance of the National Healthcare Security Administration, the Hubei Provincial Healthcare Security Bureau introduced the first nationwide medical service price program for brain-computer interface technology. Subsequently, in the national project guidelines for the nervous system issued by the National Healthcare Security Administration, brain-computer interface was independently established as a separate project to address issues regarding product pricing. Currently, provinces such as Hubei, Zhejiang, and Sichuan have implemented this program.In July 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and six other departments jointly issued the "Implementation Opinions on Promoting the Innovative Development of the Brain-Computer Interface Industry," proposing multiple measures such as strengthening fundamental software and hardware research, creating high-performance products, and expanding innovative entities. This policy marks the first instance of cross-departmental collaboration, covering the entire chain of brain-computer interface technology R&D, standard setting, and clinical application.In September 2025, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) released the "Terminology for Medical Devices Using Brain-Computer Interface Technology." Yuan Peng, Deputy Director of the NMPA's Department of Medical Device Registration, introduced that brain-computer interface medical devices integrate multiple disciplines such as neuroscience, clinical medicine, and computer science. The same concept may have different expressions in different fields, and the lack of unified terminology and standardized concepts has become a fundamental challenge hindering industry development. The release of this standard establishes a unified "language" system for this emerging field, supporting its standardized and orderly development.To accelerate the research, development, and market entry of brain-computer interface (BCI) medical devices, in December 2025, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) included implantable BCI medical devices in the priority approval directory for high-end medical devices. Yuan Peng said that BCI medical devices are a typical representation of high-end medical devices and new quality productivity, which will bring significant changes to human health in the future. The NMPA will strengthen support for BCI technology through priority review and approval, scientific regulation, and other measures, enabling it to better serve public health.

Source: People's Daily

Editor: Su Hao