Home / Technology / Mind Over Matter: 5 Years with Brain Implant
Mind Over Matter: 5 Years with Brain Implant
4 Mar
Summary
- Rodney Gorham has lived with an experimental brain implant for five years.
- The device allows him to control technology using only his thoughts.
- Gorham's feedback has been crucial in developing the implant's capabilities.
Rodney Gorham has been the longest-term user of Synchron's experimental brain-computer interface, surpassing five years with the implant as of December 2025. This groundbreaking technology enables Gorham, who has ALS and limited mobility, to operate computers and digital devices using only his thoughts.
His experience has been vital in refining Synchron's Stentrode device, which is inserted via a blood vessel to read neural signals from the motor cortex. The company is now preparing for a pivotal trial, a crucial step toward regulatory approval in the US.
Brain-computer interfaces like the Stentrode decode neural activity to translate thoughts into actions, offering a new avenue for individuals with paralysis to interact with the digital world. The ongoing development aims to improve the consistency and utility of these life-changing devices.
