From mind-controlled cars to cochlear implants to bionic prostheses, neurotechnology is now everywhere and is an extremely active area of research . The rise of neurotech has made it possible to improve the quality of life of many people, especially when individuals have lost certain faculties (hearing, speech, etc.) or suffer from chronic pain. But the democratization of neurotechnology should not obscure its ethical aspect, and the need for both authorities and companies to develop and use these technologies responsibly.
Neurotech (nology) involves connecting the human brain to machines, computers and cell phones. While brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are at the heart of neurotechnology, they are more broadly defined as a technology capable of collecting, interpreting, inferring, or modifying information generated by any part of the nervous system. . Why ? Develop therapies for mental and neurological diseases. But beyond health, it may soon be used in education, games, entertainment , transportation, and more.
But there are hurdles: There are not yet widely accepted regulations or safeguards for the development or deployment of neurotech. We must therefore develop principles and policies around neurotechnology, technological guarantees and national and international regulations.
Invasive neurotechnologies: when technology takes root in the brain
There are different types of neurotechnology, some are invasive, some are not. Invasive brain-computer interfaces involve placing microelectrodes (with or without chips) or other types of neurotech material directly on the brain, or even embedding them into neural tissue. The idea is to directly detect or modulate neuronal activity.
Such technology has already improved the quality of life and the capacities of people with different diseases or impairments, from epilepsy to Parkinson's disease to chronic pain. One day, we may implant such neurotechnical devices in paralyzed humans, allowing them to easily control phones, computers, and prosthetics with their thoughts alone.
The Gennaris Bionic Vision System could not only restore sight in blind people, but also alleviate other incurable neurological conditions, such as limb paralysis. Credit: Monash University
In 2017, Rodrigo Hübner Mendes, a paraplegic, used neurotechnology to drive a race car with his brain activity. Recently, an invasive neurotech device accurately decoded imaginary writing motions in real time, at a speed corresponding to average typing on a computer. The researchers also showed how invasive neurotechnology allows users with missing or damaged limbs to feel touch, heat and cold through their prostheses.
Towards more and more advanced technologies
There are also non-invasive neurological technologies that can be used for similar applications. For example, researchers have developed wearable devices to infer a person's intentional speech or movement. Such technology could potentially enable a patient with language or movement difficulties - for example, a person with lock-in syndrome - to communicate more easily and effectively.
Non-invasive neurotechnology is also used for pain management. In collaboration with Boston Scientific , IBM researchers are applying machine learning, the Internet of Things and neurotechnology to improve the treatment of chronic pain.
All of this is impressive enough, but there is also the neurotech that really pushes the boundaries… Not only can it detect or read neurodata, but it also allows activity to be modulated in an invasive and non-invasive way. This technology is still in its infancy, but it is advancing rapidly.
Researchers have artificially encoded memories in birds, manipulating the activity of neurons between the regions of the NIf brain (pictured above) and those of the HVC. The birds used these memories to learn the syllables of their song. © UT Southwestern Medical Center
An amazing example is the work of Rafael Yuste, a neurobiologist at Columbia University. His team recorded the neuronal activity of a mouse that was performing an action, such as licking food. Later, the researchers reactivated those same neurons and caused the mouse to perform the same action, even though the rodent had no intention of doing so at the time. Other neuroscientists have used similar technologies to transfer learned tasks between two rodents from brain to brain and implant false memories into an animal's mind.
Ethics and regulations: they must surround neurotechnologies