Scientists Use Prosthetic Device to Restore and Improve Impaired Decision-Making Ability in Animals

In this study performed by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, researchers attempted to record neuronal patterns and then use these records to stimulate the brain to make a specific decision. In this study, primates were trained to select a specific image when shown a list. Researchers then recorded the neuronal pathway used to make this decision by using a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) mathematical model to record the firing patterns of neurons from the prefrontal cortex. MIMO was developed by the University of Southern California and is a prosthetic device that can detect neuronal input, record input, and play back a previous input. Therefore, when implanted in primates with brain injury (cocaine in this case) replaying the recording would allow the mentally impaired primates to make the correct selection. The next step in this research would be an implantable device that could help recovery from brain injuries.

This article is incredibly interesting to me on account of the fact that my grandmother died from Alzheimer’s. Therefore, any research done toward correcting improper brain pathways could greatly assist in curing neurological disorders which could include this disease. This technology may also be accompanied by some ethical issues, however. I worry that a device that can influence others to make certain decisions would not be as widely accepted by most of the population regardless of its usefulness in helping patients with brain damage perform daily tasks.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120913203915.htm