Brain Implant Enables Partial Arm Movement and Touch Sensation in Paralyzed Man After Two Years

Keith Thomas, 42, of Massapequa, New York, can now feed himself, lift a cup to drink, and feel his sister's hand and his dog's fur after receiving a brain implant that bypasses his spinal cord injury. Thomas suffered a neck injury in July 2020 while diving into a swimming pool. The accident left him paralyzed from the chest down and unable to move his limbs.

He enrolled in the clinical trial in October 2021, at which point he could not raise his arms from his wheelchair. Surgeons placed electrodes in his brain as part of the double neural bypass system developed at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Pressure sensors on his fingers, thumb, and palm register contact and send signals back to his brain.

After 35 weeks of training, his right arm strength rose 86 percent and his left arm strength rose 62 percent. Thomas can now scratch his nose, wipe his face, and handle delicate objects such as eggshells without assistance. Researchers used a method called cortical mirroring to restore sensation to his right wrist after 25 weeks of therapy.

The area had been numb since the 2020 accident. Some restored functions and sensations continue even when the device is switched off. A recent assessment showed the gains remained after more than two years.

"For me, this is an incredible moment," said Prof Chad Bouton, who led the research team.