Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
In 2005, a rare brainstem stroke robbed Ann Johnson of her ability to speak at age 30. The mother of two from Saskatchewan hasn’t been able to communicate naturally with her loved ones ever since.
But last week she was seen making history in a California lab, chatting with her husband thanks to AI-powered technology that can translate her brain signals into speech. Researchers also synthesized a voice that sounds like her own and displayed a digital face that she could use to convey emotions and expressions.
“The goal of all of that is just to restore more full communication,” said Dr. Eddie Chang who is a neurosurgeon at the University of California, San Francisco.
Johnson, who was a teacher at the time of her stroke, was diagnosed with from what’s known as locked-in syndrome, a brain condition that causes paralysis of nearly all muscles except those that control the eyes. She has since regained some movement but cannot speak.
The researchers attached a thin grid of electrodes to the surface of her brain through surgery. It covered the area vital to speech and was connected by a wire to computers trained to decode her brain activity and not only generate text, but also speech and facial expressions.
“We also directly decoded sound, so the sound of what they’re trying to say. Then we actually decoded facial movements to animate an avatar,” said researcher Sean Metzger.
In an exchange captured on video Johnson was able to chat with her husband Bill about baseball. He asked her how she was feeling about the Blue Jays chances of winning that day.
“Anything is possible,” responded Johnson using her synthesized voice.
Bill then commented on her lack of confidence.
“You are right about that. I guess we’ll see won’t we,” said Johnson silently turning to her husband and smiling.
Researchers used audio from a speech she gave at her wedding prior to the stroke to train a computer to synthesize her voice. She has said it’s like hearing an old friend.
The researchers clarified the brain computer interface (BCI) is not reading minds, but interpreting signals from the part of the brain that controls the vocal tract. The user has to actually try and say the words for it to work.
"This isn't about someone trying to imagine saying stuff or thinking about words. But actually trying to say them," said Chang.
The interface can decode about 78 words a minute, which is around half the speed of a typical conversation. It a huge improvement over the 14 words a minute Johnson can produce with her current assistive communication device that uses eye movements.
Johnson has been regularly travelling with her husband from Regina to California to take part in the multi-year clinical trial. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help them cover travel expenses. On the website of the high school she used to teach at, Johnson has expressed a desire to give back and help others.
The researchers say this is just the starting point. They hope to make smaller devices that could connect wirelessly with computers so it can help others with speech impairments due to stroke, ALS, or other neurological disorders.
They would like to see more people regain the ability to communicate with loved ones.
"I think that this is all going to be possible within the next couple of years," says Chang.
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.
A B.C. woman says her service dog pulled her from a lake moments before she had a seizure, saving her life.
A Starbucks fan — whose name is Winter — is visiting Canada on a purposeful journey that began with a random idea at one of the coffee chain's stores in Texas.
Members of Piapot First Nation, students from the University of Winnipeg and various other professionals are learning new techniques that will hopefully be used for ground searches of potential unmarked grave sites in the future.
ALS patient Mathew Brown said he’s hopeful for future ALS patients after news this week of research at Western University of a potential cure for ALS.
When Adam Kirschner wrote 'Slap Shot,' he never imagined the song would be embraced by his favourite team.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.