World First: Breakthrough in Combined Brain-Computer Interface Therapy Enables Late-Stage Paraplegic Patient to Walk Again
Release time:
2026-05-22
"My wife can now brush her teeth, wash her face, and do the dishes on her own. I've returned to work this year, and life at home has become much easier." On May 19, at a clinical progress briefing held at Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University in Beijing, Ms. Zhou described the changes her husband, Mr. Wang, has undergone over the past year.
Five years ago, Mr. Wang suffered a severe spinal cord injury at the T12-L1 level due to trauma, resulting in complete paralysis and loss of sensation in both lower limbs. He was diagnosed with complete spinal cord injury (ASIA Grade A)—a condition traditionally considered irreversible, with little to no chance of regaining motor or autonomic function in late-stage patients. After two and a half years of unsuccessful conventional rehabilitation, he enrolled in a cutting-edge clinical trial at Xuanwu Hospital.
The turning point came on May 16, 2025. A team led by hospital director Zhao Guoguang and chief neurosurgeon Duan Wanru, in collaboration with top national brain science research institutions, performed an extremely challenging multi-target combined surgery on Mr. Wang: the world's first simultaneous implantation of the "Beinao No.1" invasive brain-computer interface and a time-sequenced spinal cord stimulation system.
This system acts as a "digital bridge of life" spanning the injured segment of the spinal cord:
"Beinao No.1" precisely captures motor intentions from the brain;
Time-sequenced spinal cord stimulation activates neural networks below the injury level within milliseconds;
An exoskeleton system converts decoded commands into gait movements.
Together, these three components form a closed-loop control system, achieving for the first time in a human body the complete pathway of "brain intention—spinal activation—leg movement."
Post-surgical rehabilitation was equally innovative: the first six months involved intensive neural modulation training in a hospital lab, followed by six months of home-based training, integrating electrical stimulation and exoskeleton-assisted exercises into daily activities such as brushing teeth, washing dishes, and playing with children.
The results after one year have astonished the international medical community. Mr. Wang's neurological function improved from ASIA Grade A to Grade C, breaking the long-held medical belief that complete spinal cord injury is irreversible. Key indicators include:
Bladder function: Urination time reduced from five minutes to two minutes; residual urine volume dropped to zero six months post-surgery.
Bowel function: Defecation time shortened to five minutes; deep rectal sensation fully restored; voluntary anal sphincter contraction success rate increased from 0% to 100%.
Motor function: Mr. Wang can now roll over and move independently in bed, and with braces and exoskeleton assistance, he can perform leg kicks, catch and throw a weighted ball, and walk with support.
"I can play with my daughter now, and I hope to be able to take her to and from kindergarten in the future," Mr. Wang shared, expressing his new life goal.
Zhao Guoguang, director of the National Center for Neurological Disorders, stated that this breakthrough validates the safety and efficacy of a multimodal "brain-spine-exoskeleton" combined regulation system, offering real hope for millions of spinal cord injury patients to regain control of their lives. The team will now focus on optimizing decoding algorithms and stimulation strategies to bring this technology toward broader clinical application.
From "complete paralysis" to "assisted walking," from "medical dogma" to "clinical reversal," Mr. Wang's small step represents a giant leap for China's brain science and neural repair.
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