Brain Technologies of the Future

What’s in the future for brain science? Great entrepreneurs like Robin Li, Paul Allen, Jeffrey Hawkins and more believe that brain science can transform 21st century lives for the better. I wanted to share this article by Murali Doraiswamy, which discusses five incredible and emerging technologies that could promise more in the future for brain science: mind mapping, brain-like computers, brain prosthetics, brain interfaces and automated brain testing. I wanted specifically to talk about three of these technologies.

1.      Mind mapping takes a close look at neural circuits, and how many scientists are starting to map the brain’s functional and structural connections. Mapping these circuits can help us understand diseases such as Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. How? After mapping the circuits, you can see how the maps change in such diseases. I believe that this concept can apply to conditions such as autism, ADHD, ADD and dyslexia. What’s remarkable is that there are already brain scans that can detect early signs of Alzheimer’s plaque more than a decade before clinical symptoms appear.

2.      For patients with neurological conditions, brain-connected devices use interfaces that can be controlled by the brain. In this article, Doraiswamy talks about how the devices can be implemented in cars, where real-time sensors monitor the driver’s concentration. These sensors can even slow the car down if fatigue or distraction is detected. Mind-controlled drones already exist. This brain technology is useful in automobile, education, gaming and security industries.

3.      Automated brain testing can help doctors with diagnosis and prescribing medicines through portable devices and phone apps that can diagnose, track and even treat ailments. Today, there are programs such as the NeuroPace’s RNS Systems, which can continuously monitor electrical activity in the brain for early signs of a seizure. For athletes, helmets and neck patches can measure location, frequency and severity of concussions. New mobile apps allow patients to track their own cognition, mood and gait, and send reports about their brain health to their doctor. In a sense, IM-Home utilizes this technology, where I am able to find reports about your child’s progress through the brain-training program. I’m looking forward to the advancements to IM-Home and other virtual programs in the future.

You can read the whole article here:

https://agenda.weforum.org/2015/08/5-brain-technologies-future/