First home brain implant lets 'locked-in' woman communicate

A paralysed woman has learned to use a brain implant to communicate by thought alone. It is the first time a brain–computer interface has been used at home in a person's day-to-day life, without the need for doctors and engineers to recalibrate the device. "It's special to be the first," says HB, who is 58 years old and wishes to remain anonymous. She was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2008. The disease ravages nerve cells, leaving people unable to control their bodies.