UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, CALIFORNIA, USA. Some recent studies by a group of scientists have shown that brain implants on animals actually improved they way they think and decide on certain situations. This is actually a medical breakthrough that could lead to brain recovery for stroke victims. It will also be a very beneficial treatment for patients who are suffering from brain injuries and dementia.
For this particular study, the scientists used rhesus monkeys. They were able to reach between 70 to 75 percent accuracy after being trained for a couple of years for the research. The monkeys were made to look at a particular image and then choose it correctly among many other images. After implanting the chip to their brain’s pre-frontal cortex, the researchers also recorded the brain waves of the monkeys every time they guess correctly.
The group of researchers was led by Theodore Berger at the University of Southern California. They gave the monkeys tiny brain implants with two sensors that ran along the forehead and to the two nearby layers of the cerebral cortex. That way, they were able to record the communication between the two layers of the outer covering of the brain during a decision-making process. They have proven that the brain implants actually improved the way the monkeys think and decide during the tests.
To make sure that the results aren’t just lucky guesses, the scientists gave the monkeys cocaine to disrupt their decision-making processes during the tests. It has been proven that there were major improvements in the way the monkeys actually think and decide despite being high on cocaine.
| Invention | Brain Implants |
|---|---|
| Organization | University of Southern California, California, USA |
| Researcher | Theodore Berger & researchers from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center |
| Field(s) | Neural Engineering, Neural Implant, Brain Implant, Dementia, Brain Injuries, Stroke Victims |
| Further Information | Smart Planet |
