Researchers at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research have restored hand movement and the sense of touch to a man paralysed from the chest down, according to a paper published in Nature Medicine. The team says its “double neural bypass” system, which links a brain-computer interface, AI decoding, and electrical stimulation of the spinal cord and brain, appears to have partly rewired the participant’s nervous system, with some gains still present more than two years after stimulation ended.<\/p>\n
The participant, Keith Thomas, broke his neck in a 2020 diving accident and was left with complete tetraplegia, unable to lift his hands to his face. He enrolled in the three-year trial 13 months after the injury.<\/p>\n
After training, Thomas could feed himself and drink from a cup using his own hand. The researchers reported that, over 35 weeks, his right arm grew 86% stronger and his left arm 62% stronger. He could also scratch his nose and wipe his mouth without assistance.<\/p>\n
A second technique, called cortical mirroring, targeted sensation. After about 25 weeks, Thomas regained feeling in a wrist that had been numb since his injury.<\/p>\n
Many of the gains held after electrical stimulation was stopped. On a recent follow-up, the team observed they were still present more than two years later. The researchers describe this as evidence of neuroplasticity rather than a temporary assistive effect.<\/p>\n
“We’re not just bypassing the injury; we’re actually rewiring the nervous system,” said Chad Bouton, the study’s corresponding author, in a statement. “For me this is an incredible moment,” he told the Guardian.<\/p>\n
Thomas echoed that sentiment: “Being able to feel my sister’s hand, to pet my dog and feel her fur, these experiences that the injury took away have been restored.”<\/p>\n
Surgeons implanted five microelectrode arrays in Thomas’s brain during a 15-hour operation. AI decodes his movement intentions from brain signals and triggers stimulation of his forearm muscles, moving his own hand. Sensors built into a 3D-printed brace then stimulate the sensory cortex to create the feeling of touch.<\/p>\n
The researchers reported that the decoder held up to 84.6% accuracy over five months without retraining. In a dexterity test, Thomas could lift empty eggshells without breaking them 87% of the time, even while holding a conversation.<\/p>\n
The work joins a fast-moving brain-computer interface field. Other groups have used implants to restore speech, while others pursue wearable or non-invasive approaches. China has cleared its first commercial brain implant.<\/p>\n
About 15 million people live with spinal cord injury worldwide, and most people with tetraplegia rank hand function as their top priority. The Feinstein team plans larger trials and is testing the system for other conditions, including stroke.<\/p>\n
The double neural bypass is a system developed by the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the research arm of Northwell Health. It combines a brain-computer interface, AI, and electrical stimulation of the spinal cord and brain to restore movement and touch in people with paralysis.<\/p>\n
Keith Thomas, who broke his neck in a 2020 diving accident and had complete tetraplegia, enrolled in the three-year trial 13 months after his injury. After training he could feed himself and drink from a cup, his right arm grew 86% stronger and his left 62% stronger over 35 weeks, and he regained feeling in a previously numb wrist after about 25 weeks of cortical mirroring.<\/p>\n
Many of the gains remained after the stimulation was turned off and were still present on a follow-up more than two years later, which the team describes as evidence of neuroplasticity rather than a temporary assistive effect.<\/p>\n