Seven GB-PRIME patients now participating in Neurolink trial

There are now seven patients participating in the GB-PRIME study involving Neuralink’s brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, which aims to improve independence for people who are paralysed.  

The seven patients all had surgeries at UCLH’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) between October and December 2025 as part of the GB-PRIME study evaluating the safety and functionality of Neuralink’s BCI implant, which is designed to enable interaction with computers through thought. 

One young patient, Sebastian Gomez, a medical student who lost the use of his limbs after a diving accident shared his story with Sky News. He can now use a computer and mobile phone just by thought, he said:  

“It is a massive change in your life when suddenly you can no longer move any of your limbs and this kind of technology gives you a new piece of hope. Everyone in my position tries to move parts of their body to see if there is any form of recovery. Now I can think of moving my hands to the right, to the left and the technology understands what I want it to do – and it does it.” 

The Chief Investigator for the study, Mr Harith Akram, UCLH consultant neurosurgeon at the NHNN and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor at UCL, undertook a number of the surgeries. He said: 

“UCLH is delighted to lead on this landmark study. We are profoundly grateful to our remarkable patients for their courage, and to our outstanding clinical and research teams whose commitment and hard work continue to redefine what is possible in modern medicine. 

For many people living with severe paralysis, this technology could offer something that has long been out of reach: a renewed sense of independence, agency, and connection with the world around them. To witness patients beginning to communicate, interact, and reclaim aspects of daily life through computers is deeply moving, and a powerful reminder of why this work matters.” 

The Principal Investigator at UCLH, Mr William Muirhead, consultant neurosurgeon at NHNN, said:  

“Brain-computer interfaces hold tremendous potential for alleviating the devastating impact of neurological conditions such as paralysis, loss of speech, and blindness. In an increasingly digital world, the ability to navigate technology is a vital aspect of personal agency. By restoring this capability, we can provide a powerful way to return autonomy to those with severe paralysis. It has been a privilege to work with our seven study participants; they are brave pioneers of brain-computer interface technology.” 

Participants in GB-PRIME have been working with clinicians, researchers, and engineers across UCLH and Neuralink to assess safety, usability, and potential applications of the implant. Follow-up appointments and research sessions provide ongoing support, monitor safety and device performance, and inform potential refinements to the process for receiving and using the device.   

GB-PRIME involves seven participants whose manual control of a computer, smartphone, or tablet is significantly impaired or impossible because of their condition.  It follows clinical trials in the United States and Canada, where patients are using the Neuralink implant to control useful devices in their daily lives, such as computers, smartphones and robotic arms.    

At UCLH, the study is managed at the NIHR UCLH Clinical Research Facility, and supported by the NIHR UCLH Biomedical Research Centre.

The Joint Research Office (JRO) at UCLH and UCL played a crucial role in the set up of the study and continues to be involved in the study, closely supporting it with clinical service management teams at NHNN. 

Note: GB-PRIME is an early feasibility study that aims to evaluate the safety and functionality of Neuralink’s N1 Implant. The N1 Implant is a fully implantable, intracortical BCI designed to help individuals with severe neurological conditions, such as spinal cord injury and Motor Neurone Disease, to control devices and communicate more independently with their thoughts. The implant records brain signals through over 1,000 electrodes distributed across ultra-thin threads, which are each finer than a human hair and precisely placed within the brian by Neuralink’s purpose-built R1 Robot.  

The N1 Implant and R1 Robot are investigational medical devices that have been approved for use in this research study by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Health Research Authority (HRA) and Health and Care Research Wales (HCRW), and the London – Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee (REC).