'Double neural bypass' helps man with complete tetraplegia drink and feed himself
Feinstein Institutes researchers combined a brain implant with spinal and sensory-cortex stimulation to restore arm and hand movement and a sense of touch.
Researchers at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research report in Nature Medicine that a 42-year-old man with complete tetraplegia after a spinal cord injury regained useful arm and hand movement with a “double neural bypass”.
How it works
The system links three pieces:
- A brain-computer interface reads his intention to move from the brain.
- Stimulation of the spinal cord and muscles turns that intention into movement below the injury.
- Stimulation of the sensory cortex sends touch information back to the brain, so he can feel what his hand is doing.
With it, he could bend his elbows, bring his hands to his face, open and close his hand, adjust his grip on delicate objects, drink from a cup and feed himself.
Notable findings
The researchers report that the decoder kept working for more than five months without retraining. Some touch sensation persisted for more than two months after stimulation stopped, which hints at possible lasting recovery.
Why it matters
Most BCIs control external devices like cursors or robotic arms. This work restores movement of the person’s own body and closes the loop with touch, a key step toward natural control. It is a single-participant study.
Learn more: Closed-loop systems · Spinal cord stimulation · Feinstein Institutes in the Directory