A study published last month in Nature Medicine found that a man with complete tetraplegia was able to feed himself, drink from a cup and handle fragile objects after researchers at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research connected implanted brain electrodes to electrical stimulation of his spinal cord and arm muscles. The findings are promising but need to be confirmed in larger studies.
The experimental system, called a double neural bypass, reads signals produced when a person intends to move and uses a computer to send instructions around the injured area of the spinal cord to activate the person’s muscles.
Unlike brain-computer systems that control a robotic arm or computer cursor, this system enabled the participant to move his own arm and hand while also restoring some sensation by transmitting information about pressure and touch back to his brain.
Researchers reported that some improvements persisted even when the system was turned off. The participant gained strength in his arms, became more sensitive to touch at his wrist, and reported being able to scratch and wipe his face and feel his dog’s fur against an area of his wrist that had previously been numb.
David McGonigle, a lecturer in neurostimulation at Cardiff University in Wales who was not involved in the study, said the participant’s ability to perform practical tasks demonstrated the technology’s potential.
“That’s where the real worth of the study lies, with the participant now able to perform meaningful everyday tasks such as feeding himself,” McGonigle told the Financial Times.
The system remains experimental, and larger studies are needed to evaluate its safety, identify who might benefit, and determine whether the improvements are long-lasting.
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Hi,
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Amber