Paralysed man can feel objects through another person’s hand

A man suffering from paralysis has regained the ability to move and sense another individual’s hand as if it were his own, thanks to an innovative form of “telepathic” brain implant. “We established a mind-body connection between two distinct individuals,” states Chad Bouton from the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in New York.

This technique could serve as a novel rehabilitation strategy following spinal cord injuries, allowing individuals with paralysis to collaborate, and may, in the future, enable shared experiences across distances, according to Bouton.

Bouton and his team collaborated with Keith Thomas, a man in his 40s who became paralyzed from the chest down due to a diving accident in July 2020, resulting in the complete loss of sensation and mobility in his hands.

In a preliminary study conducted in 2023, the researchers implanted five small electrode sets into regions of Thomas’s brain responsible for movement and sensory perception of his right hand. This allowed them to monitor his neural activity using a device connected to his skull.

By transmitting these signals into a computer equipped with an artificial intelligence model, they decoded the neural activity and wirelessly sent signals to electrodes positioned on Thomas’s forearm. This caused muscle contractions to facilitate hand movement. Additionally, force sensors placed on his hand relayed signals back to his brain implants via the computer, enabling a sensation of touch. Thus, he could use his thoughts to grasp objects and feel them for the first time in years.

Now, the team has adapted a similar setup to enable Thomas to control another person’s hand and feel through it. In one experiment, a non-impaired woman was outfitted with forearm electrodes and several force sensors on her thumb and index finger. While she remained stationary, Thomas was able to open and close her hand merely by envisioning the movement of his own.

He was also able to experience the sensation of her fingers grasping different items, including a baseball, a soft foam ball, and a firmer ball—demonstrating the ability to distinguish between them based on hardness even while blindfolded. “It feels odd at first,” remarks Thomas. “But over time, you adjust to it.”

Although Thomas could only distinguish between the balls with 64 percent accuracy, Bouton believes this rate could improve by refining the number and placement of sensors on the hand. Moreover, while he could not feel the shape of the balls, employing additional brain electrodes and force sensors could facilitate this for various objects, according to Bouton.

In a related experiment, Thomas assisted a woman named Kathy Denapoli, also paralyzed, in picking up and drinking from a can—an action she struggled to accomplish independently due to limited finger movement. “It was truly amazing to help someone just by thinking about it,” shares Thomas.

After several months of collaboration, Denapoli has experienced a near doubling of her grip strength, reports Bouton. Due to the lesser severity of Denapoli’s paralysis, ethically justifying similar invasive surgery on her is challenging. While conventional therapies that electrically stimulate muscles or the spinal cord can achieve comparable improvements, Thomas and Denapoli found working together to be more fulfilling than rehabilitation in isolation, according to Bouton.

“Engaging with them, even in casual conversation like ‘How’s your weekend?’ fosters positivity and boosts morale for both parties,” remarks Thomas. The team aims to expand their trials with more participants in the upcoming year, says Bouton.

Rob Tylor, a paralyzed individual and lay member of the scientific committee at the Inspire Foundation, a charity focused on spinal cord injury, expresses optimism about the potential benefits of this technique for certain paralysis patients.

“I believe having this as an option is advantageous,” he comments. “Working with fellow patients, particularly those with similar backgrounds, can significantly enhance one’s quality of life.” He emphasizes, however, the importance of matching individuals based on similar motivations and perspectives.

Bouton recognizes the necessity of resolving several ethical dilemmas regarding who could benefit from this technology before it can be authorized for broader medical application, a goal he hopes to achieve within the next decade.

Speculatively, such technology could extend beyond medical contexts, enabling a non-disabled person to remotely manage and sense through another individual, states Bouton. “This might open up new avenues for deeper human connections,” he posits.

Nevertheless, this scenario introduces complex ethical considerations. “Could it be detrimental for society if individuals can control and feel through others?” questions Harith Akram of University College London Hospitals. “One could easily inflict harm on another by manipulating their own body or commit unlawful acts by asserting control over someone else’s actions and evading culpability.”