Paralyzed Man’s Arm Wired to Receive Brain Signals

Scientists at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio say they’ve used electronics to get around a paralyzed man’s spinal injury, permitting him to use an implant in his brain to move his arm and hand.

The test represents the first time that signals collected in the brain have been conveyed directly to electrodes placed inside someone’s arm to restore movement.

The project, described today at the meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Chicago, is a step toward a wireless system able to transmit brain signals through the air to electronics sewn into the limbs of paralyzed people, thereby restoring the ability to carry out simple daily tasks.