Feinstein Institutes’ double neural bypass restores hand movement and touch to a man with tetraplegia

By NewSunSEO | July 19, 2026

Researchers at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research have restored hand movement and the sense of touch to a man who was paralysed from the chest down. The system, called a double neural bypass, combines a brain-computer interface, artificial intelligence, and electrical stimulation of the spinal cord and brain. Results from the three-year trial were published in Nature Medicine and suggest the technology partly rewired the participant’s nervous system.

What the participant regained

The participant, Keith Thomas, broke his neck in a 2020 diving accident and had complete tetraplegia, meaning he could not lift his hands to his face. He enrolled in the trial 13 months after the injury. After training, Thomas could feed himself and drink from a cup with his own hand. Over 35 weeks, his right arm grew 86% stronger and his left arm 62% stronger, according to the researchers. He could also scratch his nose and wipe his mouth without help.

A separate technique called cortical mirroring targeted touch. After about 25 weeks, Thomas regained feeling in a wrist that had been numb since his injury.

Why the lasting effect matters

Many of the gains held after the stimulation stopped. On a recent follow-up, the researchers reported, those gains were still present more than two years later. The team says this points to real rewiring, or neuroplasticity, rather than a temporary assist from the device.

“We’re not just bypassing the injury; we’re actually rewiring the nervous system,” said Chad Bouton, the study’s corresponding author, in a statement.

“For me this is an incredible moment,” Thomas told the Guardian. “Being able to feel my sister’s hand, to pet my dog and feel her fur, these experiences that the injury took away have been restored.”

How the double neural bypass works

Surgeons implanted five microelectrode arrays in Thomas’s brain during a 15-hour operation. AI decodes his movement intentions and stimulates his forearm muscles to move his own hand. Sensors in a 3D-printed brace trigger stimulation of the sensory cortex to create the feeling of touch. The decoder held up to 84.6% accuracy over five months without retraining. Thomas could lift empty eggshells without breaking them 87% of the time, even while holding a conversation.

How it fits the wider brain-computer interface field

The work joins a fast-moving field of brain-computer interfaces. Rivals have used implants to restore speech, while others are pursuing wearable or non-invasive approaches, and China has cleared its first commercial brain implant. About 15 million people live with spinal cord injury worldwide, and most people with tetraplegia rank hand function as their top priority. The Feinstein Institutes team plans larger trials and is testing the system for other conditions, including stroke.

FAQ

What is the double neural bypass?

The double neural bypass is a system developed by the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research that combines a brain-computer interface, AI, and electrical stimulation of the spinal cord and brain. In a trial with a participant who had complete tetraplegia, it restored hand movement and the sense of touch.

Who took part in the trial?

The participant was Keith Thomas, who broke his neck in a 2020 diving accident and had complete tetraplegia. He enrolled in the three-year trial 13 months after his injury.

Are the improvements permanent?

Many of the gains held after the stimulation stopped, and on a recent follow-up more than two years later the effects were still present. The researchers say this suggests real rewiring of the nervous system, rather than a temporary assist from the device.