US neural implant restores arm movement and touch for tetraplegic patient

Researchers at the Feinstein Institutes in the United States have demonstrated a neural "bypass" that combines a brain‑computer interface with peripheral nerve stimulation. The system translates the user’s intent to move the arm into electrical impulses that activate muscles while pressure sensors on the hand send tactile information back to the brain.

In a clinical trial, Keith Thomas, who has been completely tetraplegic from the chest down after a 2020 diving accident, regained functional hand and arm movements and partial touch sensation. After 35 weeks of training, his right‑arm strength rose 86 % and his left‑arm strength 62 % compared with baseline. He can now bring food to his mouth, drink from a glass, and feel the texture of objects such as an egg shell or his dog’s fur. The results were published in Nature Medicine.