Brain Implant Enables Paralyzed Man to Regain Movement and Sensation
Keith Thomas, who became paralyzed from the chest down after a diving accident in 2020, has regained significant movement and sensation thanks to a groundbreaking brain implant. Developed by Professor Chad Bouton's team at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the implant system, known as a 'double neural bypass,' allows Thomas to perform tasks such as feeding himself and feeling his dog's fur. The system works by reading Thomas's brain signals and routing them directly to his arm and hand muscles, while sensors on his fingers send touch feedback to his brain. After 35 weeks of training, Thomas's right-arm strength increased by 86% and his left by 62%. Remarkably, some of these improvements have persisted even when the device is turned off, with gains still present after more than two years. 
