When Jan Scheuermann volunteered for an experimental brain implant, she had no idea she was making neuroscience history. Scheuermann, 54 at the time of surgery, had been paralyzed for 14 years due to a neurological disease that severed the neural connections between her brain and muscles. She could still feel her body, but couldn’t move her limbs.

Unwilling to give up, Scheuermann had two button-sized electrical implants inserted into her motor cortex. The implants tethered her brain to a robotic arm through two bunches of cables that protruded out from her skull. Scheuermann’s bet paid off. With just a few days of practice, she was able to bring a bar of chocolate to herself, using only her mind to control the prosthetic. That was 2012. The field of brain-machine interface has been on fire ever since.

Prototype neuroprosthetics can already let the paralyzed walk and the blind see again—granted, the effects are still far from perfect. Various exoskeletons and retinal implants are steadily making their way through human trials, striving to reach mass market by the end of the decade. Future brain implants may be even bolder, helping restore memory loss in the elderly or giving healthy brains a boost. But we’re not there yet. And electrodes—the heart of these devices—are partially to blame."Using electrodes to target specific brain circuits is like bringing a bazooka to an ant."

Most electrodes come in a stamp-sized array that activates any neuron in their vicinity. Using them to target specific brain circuits is like bringing a bazooka to an ant—you’ll get the target, but also stimulate thousands of other cells and potentially lead to unintended effects. They also don’t like biological environments. Chemicals in the brain erode the electrodes over time, and the foreign implant often causes surrounding tissue to scar. Since scar tissue can’t conduct electricity, it renders the electrode useless.

To get around these issues, a team from Harvard and Palo Alto Research Center went back to the drawing board. Recently, they published research on a new type of implant made of tiny, thin copper coils embedded in silicon. Unlike its predecessors, the micro coil uses magnetic waves rather than electricity to stimulate the brain.

Using magnets to tweak brain activity sounds bizarre, but scientists have long harnessed magnetic fields to treat severe depression and anxiety. The therapy, trans cranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), usually involves a figure-8 shaped wand that scientists wave over certain parts of the patients’ skull. The device delivers focused pulses of magnetic waves that travel through the skull and trigger tiny electrical fields. Depending on the orientation of the fields, they can either jolt or dampen the activity of select neurons. Magnetic waves can also easily penetrate scar tissue, making them ideal for long-term use.
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Source: https://singularityhub.com/2017/02/22/new-tech-makes-brain-implants-safer-and-super-precise/amp/?_e_pi_=7%2CPAGE_ID10%2C6640286795

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