Brain-Computer Interface Restores Movement and Touch in Paralyzed Man

A man paralyzed from the chest down due to a 2020 diving accident regained the ability to feed himself and drink from a cup thanks to a brain-implant “double neural bypass” that routes movement signals from the brain to his arms and uses sensory feedback to recreate touch. After 35 weeks of training, his right arm was 86% stronger and his left 62% stronger, and he could perform tasks like scratching his nose and wiping his face; importantly, he began to feel touch again in previously numb areas. The effects persisted for over two years, but researchers caution that results from a single patient are preliminary and broader trials are needed to assess applicability across different injuries.