UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS — Researchers in the Netherlands have developed a brain implant that enables a woman with Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as ALS, to communicate using brain activity, and without a doctor’s supervision.

An electrocorticograph, developed by researchers at the University Medical Center Utrecht, consists of four electrode strips of about 5 cm long, with each holding four small electrodes. The electrode strips are implanted inside the skull against the brain.

According to the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, two of the electrode strips are placed over the region of the left motor cortex that controls hand movements, and the other two are placed over the left prefrontal cortex as a backup. The electrode strips are connected to an transmitter device that is installed inside the left side of the patient’s chest. The implant wirelessly connects to a receiver via an antenna and to a tablet computer mounted on the wheelchair.

To activate the electrodes, the patient thinks about moving her right hand, which triggers the electrodes to send signals down to the transmitter in the chest. This eventually resulting in her hand moving a cursor to make an input on the computer screen. If the patient’s motor cortex degenerates over time, she would counter backwards to activate the backup electrodes placed over her prefrontal cortex, as this region is responsible for mental calculation.

ALS affects the neurons that are required for voluntary muscle control and causes complete paralysis within a couple of years. According to the ALS Association, about 6,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. There is no known cure to the disease.