Prime Highlight

• China’s growing BCI research is helping patients with paralysis, including those with ALS, regain basic movements by decoding brain activity.
• Experts describe BCI as a bridge that translates a patient’s intention into real-world actions, offering life-changing independence.

Key Facts

• Over 500 people, including ALS patient Wang Ming, have registered for BCI clinical trials in China, though many are still waiting to participate.
• Nature highlighted in July 2025 that China’s BCI devices are advancing rapidly, in some cases outperforming international projects like Neuralink.

Background

China’s fast-growing brain-computer interface (BCI) research is giving new hope to people living with paralysis, including patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The technology, now moving through clinical trial stages, aims to restore simple but life-changing movement for those who have lost control of their muscles.

In a nursing home in Langfang, Hebei province, ALS patient Wang Ming is one of more than 500 people who have registered for BCI clinical trials, though many, including him, are still waiting for a chance to participate.

BCI technology acts as a digital connection between the brain and the body. When disorders like ALS or spinal cord injuries block neural signals, BCI devices can capture and decode brain activity directly, allowing users to control external devices or stimulate muscles.

Professor Qu Yan, director of neurosurgery at Tangdu Hospital in Xi’an, described brain–computer interfaces as more than science fiction; they serve as a bridge between thought and action. He explained that the chip can detect the brain’s intent to move and transform it into a physical command. For instance, when a patient’s mind reacts to danger, like wanting to withdraw a hand from a flame, the system translates that neural signal into the actual movement.

China’s progress is attracting global attention. In July 2025, Nature reported that China is moving fast in the BCI field, and some of its devices outperform major international projects, including Elon Musk’s Neuralink. Qu said China’s strong medical system and large population size allow faster development and testing.

As clinical work continues, researchers believe BCI could soon help patients regain basic actions many take for granted, from picking up a phone to moving a hand again.