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On January 29, 2024, Elon Musk announced that Neuralink, his brain implant company, had successfully implanted a device in a human for the first time, although details remain sparse. Neuralink is part of a broader field focused on neuroprosthetics—electronic devices implanted in the brain or nerves to communicate directly with the nervous system. These implants have significant potential to restore lost functions, such as sight, hearing, and cognitive abilities, offering hope for neurological conditions. The history of neural implants dates back to the 1950s with electrodes treating Parkinson’s disease, followed by cochlear implants in the 1970s and deep brain stimulation in the 1990s, which helped manage movement disorders.
Today, research is expanding to cognitive enhancement and treating conditions like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s. Advances aim to improve device safety and functionality through biocompatible materials and wireless communication to reduce infection risks. Innovations like the EU-funded IoN project use ultrasound to power implants wirelessly, enabling smaller, less energy-consuming devices. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are also providing new rehabilitation options for paralysis patients by enabling control of external devices via thought. Looking ahead, scientists anticipate neural implants could treat psychiatric disorders by modulating brain circuits, potentially revolutionizing therapies for depression, addiction, and beyond.
Brain implants to improve visual perception or some cognitive functions of people with neurological conditions are the result of the brain-machine combination; spearhead of innovation in neuroscience. We discover what the most hopeful advances are.
On Monday, January 29, 2024, American entrepreneur Elon Musk announced that Neuralink, his company that deals with brain implant research and development, had installed a device in a human being for the first time, without offering many more details. Neuralink is not the first company to practice brain implants and the development of the brain-machine combination is the spearhead of innovation in neuroscience, as pointed out by the Future Trends Forum dedicated to neurotechnology organised by the Bankinter Innovation Foundation.
Neural implants, also known as brain implants or neuroprosthetics, are electronic devices that are surgically inserted into the brain or peripheral nerves to establish direct communication with the nervous system. These implants can record neural activity or stimulate neural circuits, allowing researchers and doctors to study and manipulate brain function.
Its potential to restore sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf and even cognitive function to people with neurological conditions is currently being assessed.
The first successful implantation of a neural device dates back to the 1950s, when a simple electrode was inserted into a patient’s brain to relieve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This revolutionary result opened up new possibilities in the field of neuroprosthetics. Over the years, in fact, the development of neural implant technology has been driven by remarkable advances in materials, miniaturization, and a deeper understanding of neurophysiology.
In the 1970s, cochlear implants were introduced, revolutionizing the treatment of severe hearing loss. These implants bypass damaged parts of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve, allowing people to hear sounds. Another major breakthrough came in the 1990s with the development of deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS involves implanting electrodes in specific regions of the brain to relieve symptoms of movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor. By sending electrical impulses to specific areas, deep brain stimulation can help restore motor control and improve patients’ quality of life.
More recently, neural implants have been explored for their potential to improve cognitive function. Researchers are studying how to use these implants to treat conditions such as epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as to improve memory and learning ability. Although these apps are still in the early stages of development, they hold great promise.
As technology continues to advance, efforts are being made to improve the safety, reliability, and longevity of these devices. Scientists are exploring new materials that are biocompatible and less prone to rejection by the human body. They are also working on wireless communication systems that eliminate the need for physical connections, thereby reducing the risk of infections and allowing for greater flexibility in the placement of devices.
The project EU-funded IoN has developed a new ultrasound-based technique to power medical implants wirelessly. This lays the foundation for miniaturized and minimally invasive neural implants. Imec (the Interuniversity Center for Microelectronics) presented this new concept at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference 2024 held in San Francisco in February. This technology consumes less than half the energy of other systems and takes up less space.
The development of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) is opening up new possibilities for neurorehabilitation. In fact, BCIs allow people with paralysis or spinal cord injuries to regain some level of mobility by controlling different external devices, such as robotic arms or legs or computer interfaces, with their thoughts .
The possibilities are many and scientists foresee a future in which these implants could also be used to treat psychiatric disorders, such as depression or addiction, modulating the activity of the neural circuits involved in these pathologies, and thus develop more specific and effective treatments.
