From the laboratory to the mass market: our experts explain the possibilities of neuroscience apps, devices and wearables that can help us improve our capabilities.
On the occasion of the launch of the report “Neuroscience: beyond the brain”, the Bankinter Innovation Foundation has organised a series of online conferences to learn about the main areas of work in neuroscience and how this science can help us to get to know ourselves better, improve our abilities or cure our diseases.
In the second webinar, “Neuroscience Devices”, held on May 19, we had the experts of the Future Trends Forum, Ricardo Gil da Costa, CEO at Neuroverse, and Álvaro Fernández, CEO at SharpBrains, who spoke to us about Neuroscience devices and wearables and the capabilities they can help us achieve.
Álvaro Fernández explained the four types of neuroscience devices that exist, all of them non-invasive (they do not need any type of implant or need to ingest anything) and that can be used to improve our mental health, to cure diseases or to improve our abilities.
- Electroencephalography – EEG. It monitors and reacts to the electrical activity of the central nervous system.
- Neuro-monitoring. They allow you to evaluate your mental state, brain functioning, and the presence of certain neurological diseases.
- Neurocognitive training. They allow for improved neurocognitive functions such as attention, memory, decision-making or emotional regulation.
- Transcranial stimulation. They stimulate neurological activity through electromagnetism.
The reduction in the cost of basic technologies allows this type of device to move from hospitals and research centers to the mass market.
Everything points to the fact that this is a market with enormous potential. According to SharpBrains estimates, the market for this type of device by the end of 2020 will be about 6 billion dollars.
On the other hand, there is a sharp increase in the number of patents: there are many innovations and many tools are being developed.
For our expert, the increasing longevity of the population and the increasing stress of life means that mental illnesses can become what he calls a “silent pandemic”. And neuroscience devices can help avoid it.
Our expert warns us that it is very difficult to select the right app, wearable or device for our needs. First we have to know what we want it for and then investigate which one best suits our needs.
For his part, Ricardo Gil da Costa delves into this difficulty in selecting the right tool: it is not easy to distinguish an app or device scientifically tested and backed by exhaustive tests from an app or device made without foundation by amateurs.
In order to make the right decision, Ricardo recommends:
- Investigate the human team behind the project.
- Investigate if they have scientific publications on the subject.
To which Álvaro adds, the need to have tools that allow us to measure cognitive improvement by ourselves.
For Ricardo, any mental health device must serve one of three things:
- Understanding the Brain and Mind
- Improve performance
- Cure neurological diseases:
In this way, solutions are being developed to:
- Detect and prevent diseases such as Parkinson’s, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s.
- Fight anxiety, stress, and migraines.
- Improve our abilities with mental training.
In any case, it is necessary to have the appropriate regulation that, facilitating innovation, protects users from unwanted effects on the one hand and from the improper use of their mental health data.
And where is the future going?
According to our experts, a very promising field is that of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) devices. They can be used for diagnostics, neurological treatments and therapies.
The other field with a lot of potential is biofeedback: devices that inform us in real time of how we are progressing. Above all, applied to the control of anxiety, stress and the regulation of emotions.
And as a general trend in Neuroscience, the next step will be the use of Artificial Intelligence to monitor, detect problems and define therapeutic actions.
You can download the full report “Neuroscience: Beyond the Brain”, and access the videos of the experts who participated in the Future Trends Forum by clicking here.
CEO en SharpBrains
