The latest brain-computer interface could help people recover from severe depression. Motif Neurotech has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved a human study to trial their blueberry-sized brain implant, which delivers electrical stimulation to treat depression.

Motif’s device sits in the skull just above the dura, targeting the central executive network of the brain. It emits specific patterns of stimulation to activate this underactive part, potentially restoring patients' cognitive functions and enabling them to perform daily activities.

The implant allows patients to receive therapeutic brain stimulation at home through a baseball cap that sends data on their prescribed dose of stimulation directly to the implant. Patients will likely wear the hat for periods of 10 to 20 minutes several times over the course of a day, especially in the initial days of treatment.

The primary goal of Motif’s trial is to confirm the safety of the implant procedure and device over a 12-month period, while tracking whether patients experience meaningful reductions in depression symptoms. The study will enroll around 10 participants over the next year.

According to Jacob Robinson, cofounder and CEO of Motif, future versions of their device will be able to record and monitor brain activity over time, allowing for more personalized stimulation for each patient. This could revolutionize the field of psychiatry by providing objective measures of a patient's wellbeing.