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A man who was left paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident has regained significant movement and the ability to feel touch in his hands after receiving an experimental brain implant, according to researchers who say the results could represent an important advance in brain-computer interface technology, Smithsonian Magazine reported. The findings were published July 16 in the journal Nature Medicine and involve a first-of-its-kind “double neural bypass” system designed to reconnect signals between the brain and body.
Keith Thomas, 48, suffered a spinal cord injury six years before undergoing the experimental procedure as part of a clinical trial led by researchers at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in New York, The Guardian reported. Surgeons implanted electrode arrays into areas of his brain responsible for movement and sensation while also placing stimulation devices over his spinal cord and forearm to help restore communication between his brain and muscles, according to StatNews.
The system works by detecting brain activity when Thomas attempts to move his arms or hands. Artificial intelligence software interprets those signals and converts them into electrical stimulation that activates muscles in his arms. At the same time, pressure sensors built into a custom orthotic relay information back to his brain, allowing him to experience the sensation of touch while grasping objects. Researchers reported the decoding system correctly interpreted his intended movements about 85% of the time.
After 35 weeks of therapy, researchers measured an 86% increase in strength in Thomas’ right arm and a 62% improvement in his left arm. The study also found he regained sensation in portions of his right hand and wrist that had previously been completely numb after undergoing additional therapy designed to recreate the feeling of touch through targeted brain stimulation.
The restored sensation translated into meaningful daily activities. Researchers said Thomas could carefully pick up fragile eggshells without breaking them—even while blindfolded—and has regained enough function to feed himself, pet his dog and perform other everyday tasks that were impossible following his injury.
Perhaps the most surprising outcome was that many of the improvements continued long after the device stopped actively stimulating his nervous system. Researchers said Thomas maintained gains in movement and sensation months after the system was turned off, raising the possibility that the treatment encouraged lasting changes within the nervous system through neuroplasticity. Follow-up evaluations more than two years later found many of those improvements remained.
Outside experts cautioned that the research involved only a single patient, making it too early to know whether similar results can be achieved consistently in others with spinal cord injuries. Specialists who were not involved in the research described the findings as encouraging while noting larger clinical studies will be needed to determine how well the technology works across a broader population and which parts of the treatment are responsible for the lasting improvements.
Scientists say the work represents another milestone in the rapidly advancing field of brain-computer interfaces, which has recently produced breakthroughs allowing some people with paralysis to communicate, control devices and perform increasingly complex tasks using only their thoughts. Researchers hope future studies will determine whether similar systems can restore additional movement and independence for people living with paralysis.
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