Scientists have already conducted successful experiments with rats.
Researchers at Brown University have developed a system for implantation in the human brain that uses dozens of silicon microchips to record and transmit brain activity to a computer. In this way, the researchers hope to help treat epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease, technews.bg reports.
Chips called “neurograins” will be placed on the surface of the brain or even inside its tissue. Each of the microchips is the size of a salt granule, Futurism reported. The full study is published in the journal Nature Electronics.
So far, scientists have tested the “neurograin” only with rodents, but soon hope to do the same with humans. In one experiment, the researchers inserted 48 microchips into a rat’s cerebral cortex. While the animal was under anesthesia, the chips recorded spontaneous cortical activity.
But the signal quality was not as good as that of the commercial chips used in most brain-computer interface research. If scientists can improve the quality of the results, the new system will provide an opportunity to explore large areas of the brain, such as complex networks that control processes such as memory and decision making.
Researchers also hope to be able to implant microchips in people’s brains in the future. According to their calculations, about 770 “neurograins” of the brain will be needed. This will allow the chips to stimulate neurons with electrical impulses, potentially treating serious neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, paralysis or epilepsy.
Scientists currently plan to test the system on awake rodents that can move freely. The next step is the monkeys, and then maybe it’s people’s turn.
