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Neuralink Brain Chip Trial in Abu Dhabi - Who's Eligible?

Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) is inviting participants to apply for the first human trial of Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip outside the United States

Monday May 19, 2025 11:45 PM, ummid.com News Network

[Representative image]

Abu Dhabi (UAE): Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) is inviting participants to apply for the first human trial of Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip outside the United States.

Elon Musk-led startup Neuralink had revealed in July 2019 tiny brain "threads" in a chip, which is long lasting, usable at home and has the potential to replace cumbersome devices currently used as brain-machine interfaces.

Neuralink received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to begin its first-in-human clinical study in May 2023, barely two months later it had rejected the startup's bid to implant a chip in a human brain over safety risks.

After getting the FDA approval, the company claimed first successful brain implant in January 2024 in the United States.

Neuralink has now partnered with Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) to conduct the first human trial of its brain chip outside U.S.

The trial, known as UAE-PRIME, will explore how people with motor and speech impairment can use thought to control devices and communicate.

Who is Eligible?

Neuralink has outlined eligibility for the study in a brochure on its website. The list of the eligibility criteria for applicants are:

1. Have quadriplegia (limited function in all 4 limbs) due to:
• Spinal cord injury, or
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
2. Must be at least 1 year post-injury without improvement
3. Must be 22 years old or older
4. Have a consistent and reliable caregiver

Mansoor Al Mansoori, the Chairman of the Department of Health which facilitated the partnership, said that the trial "marks an important step in advancing brain computer interface technology on a global scale".

"In partnership with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, we are proud to support innovation that is grounded in ethics, driven by science, and focused on restoring hope for patients around the world", he said.

Participants will first undergo a surgery in which a robot will plant a chip (N1) into a part of the brain that controls movement intention. The device will then record neural activity and allow users to control a computer through the N1 user app.

This study will span approximately six years and will begin with an 18-month primary phase, which will be followed by five years of long-term follow up, according to Khaleej Times.

About Neuralink Brain Chip

By brain implant, Neuralink's goal is to connect human brains to computers, revolutionising the way patients with illnesses like Alzheimer's are treated. In addition, it aspires to enhance human capabilities and bring them to par with AI.

A coin-sized brain chip that can be fitted into the human brain through surgery, Neuralink's brain impnat is like a SIM card in a mobile phone. If the connection between any organ of a person and the brain gets lost, which is also called Neurological Disorder, then the brain chip will re-establish that connection.

Nonetheless, Musk's Neuralink is not the first to implant a brain-computer interface into humans. Its rival Synchron launched human trials on six severely paralysed patients in the US to enable them to control digital devices hands-free, using just thoughts in May 2023.

On the other hand, Futurist speaker Nikolas Badminton while acknowledging that Elon Musk’s ‘Neuralink’ brain implant is a “useful” technology, but claimed the idea dates back to the last century.

“In the 1950s, someone used it to try and stop a bull", he told Talk TV.

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