Paralysed man can ask for beer with just his mind using a microchip brain implant

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ALS) in 2015.But after being linked up to a computer in a groundbreaking operation, carers say he has now been asking them for meals — and has been especially keen on ordering beer.The groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications saw researchers Ujwal Chaudhary and Niels Birbaumer place two chips inside his motor cortex, which is the part of the brain responsible for movement.He had previously only been able to talk with family and medical staff by using eye movements to spell out words by picking letters shown to him.It used the neurofeedback technique, which has someone shown their brain activity, displayed to them to help them control it.This saw a rising tone played when the computer detected an increase in brain activity, and a falling tone played when it dropped.The novel use of the sounds meant it took the man only two days to learn how to control them, according to the researchers.It meant that he was able to move on from eye movements to using sounds for forming words, beginning with his own name, his son's name and his wife's name.From this, he was able to finally 'speak' in complete sentences.Chaudhary reported that his first words were: "Boys, it works so effortlessly."Describing how he has taken to the technology to order items, he added: "Many times, I was with him until midnight, or past midnight.

The last word was always 'beer'."One especially touching request saw him ask to watch films with his son.A fundraising effort has now been started by the team to give the treatment to more people with ALS.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here..