Ontario spinal cord injury patients often face life-altering challenges, from loss of mobility to reduced independence. But what if technology could give them control back – not through physical therapy alone, but directly through the power of thought?
That’s the promise behind Neuralink’s brain-computer interface (BCI), a cutting-edge technology underway in clinical trials that now include Canadian patients – including individuals with cervical spinal cord injuries.
In this post, I’ll explain what Neuralink is, how it could change the lives of spinal cord injury survivors, how it relates to personal injury law, and what Ontarian’s should understand about the current stage of research.
What is Neuralink’s Brain-Computer Interface for Spinal Cord Injuries?
At its core, Neuralink is a brain-computer interface (BCI) – A device implanted directly into the brain that can translate neural activity into digital commands.
Unlike external assistive technology (like voice activated devices, sip-and-puff systems or joystick-controlled wheelchairs), Neuralink’s approach bypasses the spinal cord entirely, allowing brain signals to be read and interpreted by computers and external systems.
This means a person with paralysis from spinal cord injury could, in theory:
· Control a computer cursor by thought
· Operate adaptive devices
· Communicate more easily
Potentially restoring independence in areas that have been unreachable with current technology. In short, Neuralink allows the brain to communicate directly with computers, bypassing damaged spinal cord pathways.
Why Spinal Cord Injuries Are Hard to Treat – and How Brain-Computer Interfaces Help
A spinal cord injury disrupts communication between the brain and the body below the injury site, which is why these injuries often cause permanent paralysis. Even when the brain and motor intent remain intact, those signals can’t travel, leaving individuals with tetraplegia or paraplegia unable to voluntarily move limbs or perform basic tasks.
Traditional rehabilitation and assistive technologies can improve quality of life, but they do not restore direct neural communication between the brain and the body.
That’s where BCIs, like Neuralink’s N1 implant come into play: by connecting directly to the motor areas of the brain and interpreting neural signals, these devices give users a new pathway to interact with the world.
Neuralink Trials in Canada: A Milestone for Ontario Patients
While Neuralink began its clinical trials in the United States, Health Canada authorized the first Canadian Neuralink trial, called the CAN-PRIME study (Canadian Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface), at the University Health Network’s Toronto Western Hospital.
In late 2025, as part of an ongoing clinical trial two Canadian patients with cervical spinal cord injuries received implanted Neuralink devices, marking two major milestones.
- It’s the first-time neural implants of this kind have been trialed outside of the U.S.
- Both individuals were able to control a computer cursor using thought alone shortly after surgery
These procedures are part of a research study to evaluate safety, feasibility, and initial functionality – meaning researchers are observing how well the devices work, how safe they are long-term, and whether the technology can improve quality of life for those with severe paralysis.
For Ontarians living with spinal cord injuries, this trial represents an early but meaningful step toward future assistive technology options.
What Neurolink Could Mean for Ontarians with Spinal Cord Injuries
For someone living in Ontario with a spinal cord injury, the potential implications are huge – but important to understand accurately:
- It’s Still Experimental
While the initial results – such as using thought to move a cursor or engage devices are promising, Neuralink’s technology remains in clinical trial stages. It is not yet widely available, and full medical approval for general use is still awaited.
- Safety and Monitoring Are Critical
Trials like CAN-PRIME are as much about evaluating risks and safety as they are about exciting breakthroughs. Neurosurgical procedures carry risks (e.g., infection, seizures stroke), and researchers will be carefully tracking outcomes.
- Future Application Could Extend Beyond Computers
Right now, most use cases involve digital control (like computers), but engineers and scientists hope these interfaces could eventually be used to help:
- Operate robotic limbs
- Control power assisted wheelchairs or automobiles
- Restore movement through stimulated muscles
All of which is dependent on future research and developments.
Balancing Hope with Caution: Neuralink and Spinal Cord Injury Outcomes
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) like Neuralink’s represent some of the most advanced and hopeful innovation in neurological science, especially for individuals with spinal cord injuries. But it’s important to approach these advancements realistically:
· They are NOT a guaranteed cure
· Outcomes may vary by individual
· Safety, long-term stability, and effectiveness are still being studied
Still, the fact that clinical trials are happening here in Canada – and that Ontarians are among the first outside the U.S. to participate, is a sign of how rapidly this field is evolving.
What Emerging Technologies Like Neuralink Mean for Personal Injury Claims in Ontario
Breakthrough technologies such as Neuralink don’t just raise medical questions – they also raise important legal and financial issues for people living with spinal cord injuries.
In Ontario, individuals with catastrophic or severe spinal cord injuries may be entitled to compensation that goes beyond immediate medical care. Personal injury law is designed to account for future needs, including treatments, technologies, and supports that may not yet be widely available at the time of settlement or trial.
As rehabilitation science advances, courts will have to increasingly recognize that future care plans must be flexible and forward looking. This should include emerging assistive technologies, experimental treatments, and advanced devices that may significantly improve independence or quality of life.
Future Care Costs for Spinal Cord Injuries and Advanced Assistive Technology in Ontario
For people with spinal cord injuries, compensation may include funding for:
- Assistive and adaptive technology
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Attendant care and personal support
- Home and vehicle modifications
- Future medical interventions
As technologies like brain-computer interfaces develop, a key legal question becomes whether future access to such technology should be accounted for in a claim, even if it is currently experimental.
Ontario courts have long held that damages should reflect what an injured person will reasonably need over their lifetime. Where credible medical and expert evidence supports the likelihood that advanced technologies could play a role in future care, those costs may form part of a properly constructed future care claim.
This is particularly important for younger spinal cord injury survivors, whose needs may evolve dramatically over decades.
How Personal Injury Lawyers Help Clients Navigate Medical Innovation
Rapid medical innovation can be empowering – but it can also be overwhelming. For individuals living with spinal cord injuries, understanding what is available, what may be available in the future, and how it may be funded is complex.
An experienced personal injury law firm can help by:
- Working with medical experts and life care planners to assess future treatment and technology needs
- Ensuring settlements or trial awards properly reflect long-term care requirements
- Protecting clients from pressure to settle claims before the full scope of future options are understood
- Coordinating personal injury claims with accident benefits, disability benefits, and public healthcare coverage
- Advocating for compensation that supports maximum independence and dignity, not just basic survival
Looking Ahead: Law, Medicine, and the Right to a Full Life
As technologies like Neuralink continue to develop, they underscore a broader principle in personal injury law: compensation should not be frozen in time.
For people living with spinal cord injuries, the goal is not only to survive an injury, but to live as fully and independently as possible – especially as medical science opens new doors.
Staying informed, planning ahead, and ensuring legal claims reflect both current and future realities can make a long-lasting difference for individuals and families navigating life after a catastrophic injury. If you or a loved one is a survivor of a spinal cord injury, contact Bergeron Clifford LLP to learn how our experienced team can help you plan and secure your medical, financial and future care needs to optimize your recovery and quality of life.
