Double neural bypass restores movement and sensations to man living with quadriplegia

This first of-a-kind double neural bypass by the team at Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is said to form an electronic bridge that allows information to flow between the man’s paralysed body and brain to restore movement and sensations in his hand.

The research team unveiled the trial participant’s progress four months after a 15-hour open-brain surgery that took place on March 9, 2023 at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) in Manhasset, New York.

“This is the first time the brain, body and spinal cord have been linked together electronically in a paralysed human to restore lasting movement and sensation,” said Chad Bouton, professor in the Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine at the Feinstein Institutes, vice president of advanced engineering at Northwell Health, developer of the technology and principal investigator of the clinical trial. “When the study participant thinks about moving his arm or hand, we ‘supercharge’ his spinal cord and stimulate his brain and muscles to help rebuild connections, provide sensory feedback, and promote recovery.