Restoring functional arm movements to man with complete paralysis

A system that decodes brain signals and transmits them to sensors in the arm has allowed a man paralysed from the shoulders down to regain movement in his hand and arm, according to the first study to report results for this new technology, published in The Lancet.

The study is a major advance and the first to restore brain-controlled reaching and grasping in a person with complete paralysis.

In this study, a 53 year-old man who had been paralysed below the shoulders for eight years underwent surgery to have the neuro-prosthesis fitted. After 12 months of having the neuro-prosthesis fitted, the participant was asked to complete day-to-day tasks, including drinking a cup of coffee and feeding himself. First of all, he observed while his arm completed the action under computer control. During this, he thought about making the same movement so that the system could recognise the corresponding brain signals. The two systems were then linked and he was able to use it to drink a coffee and feed himself.