Wireless mind control is here. But you don’t need to panic just yet.
In a groundbreaking development, scientists from South Korea have invented remote control technology that enables brain manipulation using magnetic fields. The researchers hope their discovery will help us better understand higher brain functions like cognition, emotion and social behavior.
“This is the world’s first technology to freely control specific brain regions using magnetic fields,” Cheon Jinwoo, of the Center for Nanomedicine in South Korea, said in a statement. “We expect it to be widely used in research to understand brain functions, sophisticated artificial neural networks, two-way brain-computer interface technologies, and new treatments for neurological disorders.”
The human brain contains over 100 billion neurons, which exist in a complex interconnected network of neuronal circuits. Being able to control specific neurons would allow us to gain new insights into the various roles carried out by each of these brain circuits, but to date this has only been possible through invasive technologies that interfere with natural movements.
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Magnetic fields have long been used in medical imaging and offer a non-invasive, remote alternative for deep brain stimulations.
Now, Cheon and colleagues from the Center for Nanomedicine and Yonsei University have used this principle to create their brain-modulating technology, which they have called Nano-MIND (Nano-Magnetogenetic Interface for NeuroDynamics).
The technology works by combining magnetic fields and magnetized nanoparticles to selectively activate specific circuits in the brain.
To test out their technology, the team recruited a group of non-maternal female mice and selectively activated a group of receptors in an area of their brains known to initiate maternal behaviors. This activation significantly increased nurturing behaviors, such as bringing mouse pups to their nest.
Next, they explored how their technology could affect feeding behaviors by targeting neural circuits known to control motivation. Activating neurons involved in inhibiting our satiety response resulted in a 100 percent increase in appetite and feeding behaviors, while activating neurons that are known to trigger satiety resulted in a 50 percent reduction in these behaviors.
Of course, this does not mean that the technology could be used to control the minds of random passers by in the street—while the technology is remote, it still requires the use of magnetized nanoparticles and close-range magnetic field apparatus.
The researchers hope to refine their technology to not only be able to activate but also inhibit certain neurological pathways to better understand who they interact to bring about high level cognitive functions, decision making and behavior.
The full study can be found in the journal Nature.
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