Inner speech — the internal monologue in your brain as you think about what to say — can be decoded by computers and might one day help people unable to speak to express themselves, according to a study published Thursday.
While the research is in early stages, the authors said it holds promise of improving on existing brain-computer interface technology that relies on “attempted speech” to enable people with disabilities to communicate. Unlike attempted speech, which involves trying to say words, inner speech doesn’t activate the muscles involved in talking, and that could have distinct advantages for people with movement disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or a brainstem stroke.
The study of four participants reports that a computer semi-reliably decoded inner speech in real time, achieving up to 74% accuracy, from a 125,000-word vocabulary. The proof-of-concept research published in Cell also offers an alluring peek into how the brain processes and produces different forms of speech, even our innermost thoughts.
This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this article — and get additional analysis of the technologies disrupting health care — by subscribing to STAT+.
Already have an account? Log in
