Keith Thomas was paralyzed from the chest down from a diving accident. Now a neural bypass has restored movement and sensations in his hand, with lasting gains in his arm and wrist, including outside of the laboratory. 

“This is the first time the brain, body and spinal cord have been linked together electronically in a paralyzed human to restore lasting movement and sensation,” said Chad Bouton, professor in the Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine in New York.

Mapping brain areas for arm movement and sensation of touch in hand

Bioelectronic engineers, AI programmers, and surgeons at Feinstein Institutes spent months mapping Thomas’ brain, using fMRIs to help pinpoint the areas responsible for both arm movement and the sensation of touch in his hand. Armed with that information, surgeons performed a grueling 15-hour surgery at North Shore University Hospital, during parts of which the study participant was awake and giving surgeons real-time feedback.

As they probed portions of the surface of his brain, in a delicate procedure known as a “double neuro bypass,” Thomas would tell them what sensations he was feeling in his hands. A surgeon, Ashesh Mehta, MD, PhD, inserted two chips in the area responsible for movement and three more in the part of the brain responsible for touch and feeling in the fingers.

The chips send and interpret signals between his brain, damaged spinal cord, and hands, allowing him some movement.

“This type of thought-driven therapy is a game-changer,” said Mehta. “Our goal is to use this technology to give people living with paralysis the ability to live fuller, more independent lives.”

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