Investigation on the Cortical Communication (CortiCom) System (CortiCom)

August 19, 2026 updated by: Johns Hopkins University
The CortiCom system consists of 510(k)-cleared components: platinum PMT subdural cortical electrode grids, a Blackrock Microsystems patient pedestal, and an external NeuroPort Neural Signal Processor. Up to two grids will be implanted in the brain, for a total channel count of up to 128 channels, for six months. In each participant, the grid(s) will be implanted over areas of cortex that encode speech and upper extremity movement.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The successful adoption of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) as assistive technologies (ATs) for disabled populations depends on the ability to elicit rapid, intuitive, and reliable control signals. To date, it is not known which sources of neural information provide the most natural and efficient means of control. This study will directly assess the efficacy of two sources of neural control signals, speech and motor cortex, for BCI control of software and devices using investigators' Cortical Communication (CortiCom) system.

The CortiCom system consists of 510(k)-cleared components: platinum PMT subdural cortical electrode grids, a Blackrock Microsystems patient pedestal, and an external NeuroPort Neural Signal Processor. Up to two grids will be implanted in the brain, for a total channel count of up to 128 channels, for six months. In each participant, the grid(s) will be implanted over areas of cortex that encode speech and upper extremity movement.

Investigators' study will be the first to investigate the efficiency and intuitiveness of two contrasting neural control strategies for BCI: Motor imagery and speech. As the first study to chronically and simultaneously record from human speech and motor regions, this study seeks to achieve the following:

  • demonstrate the ability to decode intended upper extremity movements using information decoded from primary motor cortex arm/hand area;
  • demonstrate the ability to decode intended speech from articulatory speech cortex; and
  • determine the most effective and intuitive user strategies (e.g. imagined speech or imagined movement) and optimal neural sources for brain-computer interactions,

The patient populations targeted in this study are amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), brainstem stroke, locked-in syndrome (LIS), and tetraplegia. Individuals within these populations may have normal cortical function and cognition while suffering from motor or combined speech and motor deficits.

Based on research by colleagues, as well as investigators' own experience working with participants affected by epilepsy implanted with high density electrocorticographic grids, investigators hypothesize that long-term recording of neural activity from the targeted cortical areas may provide a new communication channel for these clinical populations. The utilization of high-channel-count (up to 128 channel) ECoG grids, in combination with simultaneous coverage of speech and motor cortex, will enable investigations into the performance of speech-mediated and motor-mediated control efficacy as applied to a variety of end effectors, such as computers, tablets, headsets for virtual or augmented reality, smart lights, televisions, and assistive technologies. Additionally, eye-tracking may be utilized in combination with neural commands to improve target selection performance and ease.

Through this study, investigators will assess the performance of speech- and motor-mediated control using chronic, high-channel count ECoG grid neural implants in pursuit of a high-performing, clinically beneficial BCI assistive technology.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

3

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

  • Name: Nathan E Crone, MD
  • Phone Number: 410-955-6772
  • Email: ncrone@jhmi.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21205
        • Recruiting
        • Johns Hopkins Medicine
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Nathan E Crone, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

22 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Clinical diagnosis of tetraplegia (quadriplegia), brainstem stroke , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Locked-in Syndrome (LIS)
  • Tetraplegia diagnosis, ALS diagnosis, stroke, or LIS etiology onset occurred at least one year prior to enrollment
  • Complete or incomplete tetraplegia (quadriplegia), tetraparesis (quadriparesis), or severe ataxia. In addition, these motor impairments may be combined with severe motor-related speech impairment (dysarthria or anarthria), as in LIS.
  • 22-70 years
  • Meeting surgical safety criteria, including surgical clearance by the participant's primary healthcare provider, study physicians, and any necessary consultants
  • Ability to communicate reliably, such as through eye movement
  • Willingness and ability to provide informed consent
  • Screened by rehabilitation psychologist with a result showing that the participant has a stable psychosocial support system with caregiver capable of monitoring participant throughout the study
  • Ability and willingness to travel up to 100 miles to study location up to three days per week for the duration of the study
  • Ability to understand and comply with study session instructions
  • Participant consents to the study and still wishes to participate at the time of the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Performance on formal neuropsychological testing that indicates significant psychiatric conditions or cognitive impairments that would interfere with obtaining informed consent or fully participating in study activities.
  • Suicide attempt or persistent suicidal ideation within the past 12 months.
  • Implanted devices that are incompatible with MRI, which may include pacemakers, cardiac defibrillators, spinal cord or vagal nerve stimulators, deep brain stimulators, and cochlear implants.
  • History of substance abuse, narcotic dependence, or alcohol dependence in past 24 months
  • Medical conditions contraindicating surgery of a chronically implanted device (e.g. osteomyelitis, diabetes, hepatitis, any autoimmune disease/disorder, epilepsy, skin disorders causing excessive skin sloughing or poor wound healing, blood or cardiac disorder requiring chronic anti-coagulation)
  • Other chronic, unstable medical conditions that could interfere with subject participation.
  • Presence of pre-surgical findings in anatomical, functional, and/or vascular neuroimaging that makes achieving implant locations within desired risk levels too challenging (to be decided by neurological and neurosurgical team)
  • Prior cranioplasty
  • Inability to undergo MRI or anticipated need for an MRI during the study period
  • Participants with active infections or unexplained fever
  • Participants with other morbid conditions making the implantation of the recording elements unsafe; not limited to: significant pulmonary, cardiovascular, metabolic, or renal impairments making the surgical procedure unsafe
  • Pregnancy (confirmation through blood test)
  • Nursing an infant, planning to become pregnant, or not using adequate birth control
  • Corrected vision poorer than 20/100
  • HIV or AIDS infection
  • Existing scalp lesions or skin breakdown
  • Chronic oral or intravenous use of steroids or immunosuppressive therapy
  • Active cancer within the past year or requires chemotherapy
  • Uncontrolled autonomic dysreflexia within the past 3 months
  • Hydrocephalus with or without an implanted ventricular shunt
  • Participants in whom it is medically contraindicated to stop anti-coagulant medications during surgery

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Device Feasibility
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Surgical implantation of the CortiCom system
Device: Surgical implantation of CortiCom system
Implantation of Cortical communication system, consisting of one or two Electrocorticography (ECoG) grids connected to a transcutaneous patient pedestal.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Time to device explantation
Time Frame: 26 weeks
This study outcome will be considered successful if the device is not explanted during the 26-week period of the study. Explantation of the device prior to the completion of the 26-week period implies that the device is putting the subject at risk (e.g. through a serious infection at the implantation site) and therefore must be removed.
26 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Success rate in controlling the brain computer interface, i.e. ratio of successful trials to total trials.
Time Frame: 26 weeks
One or more participants demonstrates successful use of the CortiCom system in which motor and/or speech neural signals can be decoded to provide control signals for software and devices. Efficacy is assessed in terms of accuracy, i.e. how often the participant is able to select a desired target.
26 weeks
Speed of brain-computer interface control, i.e. time to complete successful trials (in seconds).
Time Frame: 26 weeks
One or more participants demonstrates successful use of the CortiCom system in which motor and/or speech neural signals can be decoded to provide control signals for software and devices. Efficacy is therefore also assessed in terms of how long it takes to select the target.
26 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Johns Hopkins University

Collaborators

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Nathan E Crone, MD, Professor of Neurology

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

December 14, 2021

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2030

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 21, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 12, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

June 25, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 21, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 19, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IRB00167247
  • UH3NS114439 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

IPD from published results will be made available upon reasonable request to corresponding authors and/or will be uploaded to a data archive for the BRAIN Initiative in compliance with its data sharing consortium.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

IPD and associated analytic code will be made available upon publication of research results and will remain available for the duration of the funded project.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • ANALYTIC_CODE

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Subscribe