Brain Implants Restore 86% Arm Strength to Keith Thomas, Returning Touch 2 Years On
Updated
Updated · Boing Boing · Jul 16
Brain Implants Restore 86% Arm Strength to Keith Thomas, Returning Touch 2 Years On
3 articles · Updated · Boing Boing · Jul 16
Summary
Six years after a 2020 diving accident left him paralyzed from the chest down, Keith Thomas can now feed himself, drink from a cup and feel his dog's fur again.
A “double neural bypass” built by Feinstein Institutes researchers reads movement signals from electrodes in his brain, sends them to arm and hand muscles, and returns touch through finger pressure sensors.
After 35 weeks of training, Thomas's right-arm strength rose 86% and his left 62%, with enough control to handle fragile objects such as an eggshell.
More strikingly, some movement and sensation persisted when the device was switched off, and follow-up findings showed those gains were still present more than two years later.
The Nature Medicine study adds to evidence that the system may drive neuroplastic rewiring, raising hopes for longer-lasting recovery after spinal cord injury.
Beyond movement, what is the next frontier for brain implants in restoring complex functions like organ control?
Could brain implants one day make themselves obsolete by permanently repairing the nervous system?
Now that China has a commercial brain implant, how will the US accelerate its own regulatory approvals?
From Paralysis to Possibility: How Double Neural Bypass Restored Sensation and Movement in Keith Thomas
Overview
Keith Thomas, who lost almost all movement and sensation below his neck after a severe spinal cord injury from a 2020 diving accident, could not feel or return affection to his dog, Bow. As of July 2026, groundbreaking news reports that a new 'double neural bypass' system has enabled the restoration of both movement and sensation for people with similar injuries. This innovative technology marks a major step forward, offering hope for functional recovery and a better quality of life for those living with paralysis, and highlights the potential for future advances in neuro-rehabilitation.