Just a few decades ago, the possibility of connecting the brain with a computer to convert neural signals into concrete actions would have seemed like something from science fiction.
But in recent years, some scientific advances have been made in this regard, through so-called BCIs (Bran-Computer Interfaces) that establish communication bridges between the human brain and computers.
A recent study by UPF continues to advance in this direction and makes new contributions to pursue this desired neuroscientific milestone.
The results of the study by the UPF Center for Brain and Cognition (CBC) are the subject of an article published on February 7 in the journal eNeuro, titled “Long-range alpha-synchronisation as control signal for BCI: A feasibility study,” jointly written by Martín Esparza-Iaizzo (UPF and University College of London), Salvador Soto-Faraco (UPF and ICREA), Irene Vigué-Guix (UPF), Mireia Torralba Cuello (UPF), and Manuela Ruzzoli (Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language).
One of the main current challenges in neuroscience is the identification of brain signals which are robust enough to control devices in real time. Neuroscientists have already achieved devices that can be controlled with the mind using only the activity of one or several regions of the brain.
However, it is not yet possible to do so via the communication and synchronization of different regions of the brain. The article published by eNeuro makes significant contributions to advance in achieving this goal.
Brain activity during visuospatial attention tasks
This study is based on the analysis of the brain activity of 10 people during a visuospatial attention task, performing up to 200 measurements per subject, and relies on the concept of crossed laterality: what we see on the right hand side of the visual field is represented in the left hemisphere of the brain and, conversely, what we see on the left is represented in the right hemisphere.
Levels of the brain signal known as the alpha band decrease in the hemisphere in which the images we observe are represented. The researchers compare variations in alpha band levels to the plates on a weighing scale. It is precisely on the side of the scale in which more weight is loaded where their plates descend to a greater extent, while, on the side with less weight, they tend upwards.
The same goes for the levels of the alpha band: it is precisely in the hemisphere on the side where the images are represented that the levels of the alpha band decrease most, while they rise in the opposite hemisphere. It should be borne in mind that the alpha band inhibits the excitability of neurons, so it causes a state of relaxation of neuronal populations. It is therefore not surprising that their level is lower in the hemisphere of the brain that processes images.
It should also be noted that the brain is divided into different regions that communicate by synchronizing its neural fluctuations, for example in the alpha range. Precisely, one of the objectives of the research was to analyze whether the long-range synchronization of the alpha band between brain regions presents lateralized patterns and this has been confirmed by the study authors.
Specifically, if we attend to the right, the communication between the frontal and parietal regions of the left hemisphere increases and, if we attend to the left, the communication between these same regions in the right hemisphere increases.
To date, signals from the alpha band with which the brain’s frontal and parietal regions communicate can only be fully captured through the aggregation of data from different measurements and not through a single trial. Therefore, another of the objectives of the study was precisely to examine how to capture these neural patterns at a single test level, which would allow generating a control signal to activate devices through brain-computer interfaces in real time.
To achieve this, the principal investigator, Martín Esparza-Iaizzo explains that his study makes contributions from the methodological point of view: “The novelty of the study is that, unlike previous studies, it uses measures of synchrony between parietal and frontal areas at the level of each individual trial, not in aggregated data,”
However, he warns that the limitations of current electroencephalographs to achieve this goal have been noted:
“Current encephalography has limitations in terms of spatial resolution, and in terms of noise, due to breathing, heart activity, etc.”
However, the findings of this research provide a good basis for future research. In this sense, Esparza-Iaizzo concludes, “What our study presents is a good methodology to demonstrate that, indeed, for the time being, synchrony cannot be brought into the world of systems with real-time operation. We hope it will serve as a paradigm for future attempts.”
News
The CDC buried a measles forecast that stressed the need for vaccinations
This story was originally published on ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. ProPublica — Leaders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [...]
Light-Driven Plasmonic Microrobots for Nanoparticle Manipulation
A recent study published in Nature Communications presents a new microrobotic platform designed to improve the precision and versatility of nanoparticle manipulation using light. Led by Jin Qin and colleagues, the research addresses limitations in traditional [...]
Cancer’s “Master Switch” Blocked for Good in Landmark Study
Researchers discovered peptides that permanently block a key cancer protein once thought untreatable, using a new screening method to test their effectiveness inside cells. For the first time, scientists have identified promising drug candidates [...]
AI self-cloning claims: A new frontier or a looming threat?
Chinese scientists claim that some AI models can replicate themselves and protect against shutdown. Has artificial intelligence crossed the so-called red line? Chinese researchers have published two reports on arXiv claiming that some artificial [...]
New Drug Turns Human Blood Into Mosquito-Killing Weapon
Nitisinone, a drug for rare diseases, kills mosquitoes when present in human blood and may become a new tool to fight malaria, offering longer-lasting, environmentally safer effects than ivermectin. Controlling mosquito populations is a [...]
DNA Microscopy Creates 3D Maps of Life From the Inside Out
What if you could take a picture of every gene inside a living organism—not with light, but with DNA itself? Scientists at the University of Chicago have pioneered a revolutionary imaging technique called volumetric DNA microscopy. It builds [...]
Scientists Just Captured the Stunning Process That Shapes Chromosomes
Scientists at EMBL have captured how human chromosomes fold into their signature rod shape during cell division, using a groundbreaking method called LoopTrace. By observing overlapping DNA loops forming in high resolution, they revealed that large [...]
Bird Flu Virus Is Mutating Fast – Scientists Say Our Vaccines May Not Be Enough
H5N1 influenza is evolving rapidly, weakening the effectiveness of existing antibodies and increasing its potential threat to humans. Scientists at UNC Charlotte and MIT used high-performance computational modeling to analyze thousands of viral protein-antibody interactions, revealing [...]
Revolutionary Cancer Vaccine Targets All Solid Tumors
The method triggers immune responses that inhibit melanoma, triple-negative breast cancer, lung carcinoma, and ovarian cancer. Cancer treatment vaccines have been in development since 2010, when the first was approved for prostate cancer, followed [...]
Scientists Uncover Hidden Protein Driving Autoimmune Attacks
Scientists have uncovered a critical piece of the puzzle in autoimmune diseases: a protein that helps release immune response molecules. By studying an ultra-rare condition, researchers identified ArfGAP2 as a key player in immune [...]
Mediterranean neutrino observatory sets new limits on quantum gravity
Quantum gravity is the missing link between general relativity and quantum mechanics, the yet-to-be-discovered key to a unified theory capable of explaining both the infinitely large and the infinitely small. The solution to this [...]
Challenging Previous Beliefs: Japanese Scientists Discover Hidden Protector of Heart
A Japanese research team found that the oxidized form of glutathione (GSSG) may protect heart tissue by modifying a key protein, potentially offering a novel therapeutic approach for ischemic heart failure. A new study [...]
Millions May Have Long COVID – So Why Can’t They Get Diagnosed?
Millions of people in England may be living with Long Covid without even realizing it. A large-scale analysis found that nearly 10% suspect they might have the condition but remain uncertain, often due to [...]
Researchers Reveal What Happens to Your Brain When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep
What if poor sleep was doing more than just making you tired? Researchers have discovered that disrupted sleep in older adults interferes with the brain’s ability to clean out waste, leading to memory problems [...]
How to prevent chronic inflammation from zombie-like cells that accumulate with age
In humans and other multicellular organisms, cells multiply. This defining feature allows embryos to grow into adulthood, and enables the healing of the many bumps, bruises and scrapes along the way. Certain factors can [...]
Breakthrough for long Covid patients who lost sense of smell
A breakthrough nasal surgery has restored the sense of smell for a dozen long Covid patients. Experts at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust successfully employed a technique typically used for correcting blocked nasal passages, [...]
