Comments on: Natural Feeling Neuroprosthetics

By: kai.miller

kai.miller — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 04:51:50 +0000

Turns out that neurons do adapt very fast, even at the level of whole populations of neurons, in response to feedback. We used brain-computer interfaces that were as simple as possible, to study how the populations of neurons would adapt when imagined movement was used to control a simple 1d cursor. We found that populations of neurons increased their mean activity beyond levels found even during actual movement after 5-10 minutes. (see: http://www.pnas.org/content/107/9/4430.abstract) also an audio interview you might like listening to at http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/kai/media/kjm_quirks_and_quarks.mp3 .

When we do experiments, we find that patient’s motivation is strongly correlated with their ability to interface with the feedback scheme. However, I believe that it’s likely just that the patients who are motivated follow instructions and task better during the training and ‘feature identification’ (finding the proper brain site for feedback), than motivation having a material influence on neuronal population plasticity.

Anyhow, I really enjoy your blog!

Kai Miller

By: HHC

HHC — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:19:51 +0000

Putting on your thinking caps has a whole new meaning for rats.

By: Bronze Dog

Bronze Dog — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:58:13 +0000

I’ll defer to Steve’s expertise, but I imagine someone strongly motivated to learn would probably be slightly more adaptable than average. From my general experience, motivated people generally learn new skills faster and better, though being enthusiastic does tend to lead them to practice those skills more often, which would be a confounding variable to be controlled.

By: ChrisH

ChrisH — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 22:46:31 +0000

The science fiction story this reminded me of was The Ship Who Sang.

By: Jacob V

Jacob V — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:55:40 +0000

It seems to me (though no doubt I’ve been influenced by positive media reports and a lack of stories about disease progression or post amputation mortality such as one may see with cancer or other diseases) that those who’ve lost limbs often appear highly motivated to work with new prosthetic technology and to adapt to their loss. So my question for Steve or anyone else knowledgeable in the field is this; could the patient’s motivation impact the brains plasticity? Or could it be that a motivated brain is fundamentally more plastic or adaptable? I recall reading a number of articles here and over at SBM that studies have shown that attitude does not appear to impact disease progression unless a good attitude improves a patient’s treatment compliance. However when it comes to brain plasticity it would appear there is less of a line separating the issue of motivation and how a brain adapts to a new situation or circumstance given motivation is brain stuff.

By: Twysty

Twysty — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:13:08 +0000

One of the most recent and powerful examples I think is this video that surfaced in the last couple years about the Cochlear Implant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTzTt1VnHRM

It’s an emotional and powerful use of technology.

By: Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:12:49 +0000

If the technology was here and safe, I would absolutely want to have it implanted into any children I may have. I see no reason why it would be cruel. If the children at some point decide they don’t want it, they can have it removed later. But I doubt they would. I imagine that would be quite like loosing a limb.

And who would not want his kid to grow up to be the leader of an enormous R/C giant death robot army set out to enslave the innocent.

By: Steven Novella

Steven Novella — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:10:08 +0000

I agree that the notion of messing with infant brains is ethically and emotionally problematic. But emotional and ethical norms change over time. Parents do lots of things they think are good for their children, including indoctrinating them, controlling their diet, and sometimes engaging in extreme educational tasks. Surgical procedures on children and even infants can become the social norm. It is possible that our comfortableness with technology will get to the point that it would seem cruel to not do this, to deprive our children of a technology that will give them the opportunity to fully realize their potential. And of course there will likely also be those who believe it is unnatural, wrong, or part of some conspiracy.

By: Perky Skeptic

Perky Skeptic — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:28:38 +0000

Yeahhhhhhh, y’know what, I’m hugely old and I would STILL sign up to test one of these in a red hot second. Oh, so it feels a little weird? Hey, my mood stabilizers felt a little weird at first, my iPad felt a little weird at first, my KID felt a little weird to have around at first, and all of these things nonetheless managed to dramatically improve the quality of my life after a small adjustment period.

BRING ON THAT BORG, baybee!

By: jamesmears

jamesmears — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:52:07 +0000

” Therefore, BMI will be more effective if incorporated in young children. Perhaps we will see a day when many infants are fitted with a BMI device so that their brain can develop to fully incorporate communication with and control of the BMI.”

Fitting infants with invasive implants raises ethical and moral issues in my opinion. Unless these infants have some type of congenital paralysis or other compelling reason, I don’t see how this would be accepted. How does one get permission or approval to fit the first test infant with a device? I feel a strong emotional response to the idea.

Jim Mears