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
Studies detail high rates of long COVID among healthcare, dental workers
Researchers have estimated approximately 8% of Americas have ever experienced long COVID, or lasting symptoms, following an acute COVID-19 infection. Now two recent international studies suggest that the percentage is much higher among healthcare workers [...]
Melting Arctic Ice May Unleash Ancient Deadly Diseases, Scientists Warn
Melting Arctic ice increases human and animal interactions, raising the risk of infectious disease spread. Researchers urge early intervention and surveillance. Climate change is opening new pathways for the spread of infectious diseases such [...]
Scientists May Have Found a Secret Weapon To Stop Pancreatic Cancer Before It Starts
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have found that blocking the FGFR2 and EGFR genes can stop early-stage pancreatic cancer from progressing, offering a promising path toward prevention. Pancreatic cancer is expected to become [...]
Breakthrough Drug Restores Vision: Researchers Successfully Reverse Retinal Damage
Blocking the PROX1 protein allowed KAIST researchers to regenerate damaged retinas and restore vision in mice. Vision is one of the most important human senses, yet more than 300 million people around the world are at [...]
Differentiating cancerous and healthy cells through motion analysis
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have found that the motion of unlabeled cells can be used to tell whether they are cancerous or healthy. They observed malignant fibrosarcoma cells and [...]
This Tiny Cellular Gate Could Be the Key to Curing Cancer – And Regrowing Hair
After more than five decades of mystery, scientists have finally unveiled the detailed structure and function of a long-theorized molecular machine in our mitochondria — the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier. This microscopic gatekeeper controls how [...]
Unlocking Vision’s Secrets: Researchers Reveal 3D Structure of Key Eye Protein
Researchers have uncovered the 3D structure of RBP3, a key protein in vision, revealing how it transports retinoids and fatty acids and how its dysfunction may lead to retinal diseases. Proteins play a critical [...]
5 Key Facts About Nanoplastics and How They Affect the Human Body
Nanoplastics are typically defined as plastic particles smaller than 1000 nanometers. These particles are increasingly being detected in human tissues: they can bypass biological barriers, accumulate in organs, and may influence health in ways [...]
Measles Is Back: Doctors Warn of Dangerous Surge Across the U.S.
Parents are encouraged to contact their pediatrician if their child has been exposed to measles or is showing symptoms. Pediatric infectious disease experts are emphasizing the critical importance of measles vaccination, as the highly [...]
AI at the Speed of Light: How Silicon Photonics Are Reinventing Hardware
A cutting-edge AI acceleration platform powered by light rather than electricity could revolutionize how AI is trained and deployed. Using photonic integrated circuits made from advanced III-V semiconductors, researchers have developed a system that vastly [...]
A Grain of Brain, 523 Million Synapses, Most Complicated Neuroscience Experiment Ever Attempted
A team of over 150 scientists has achieved what once seemed impossible: a complete wiring and activity map of a tiny section of a mammalian brain. This feat, part of the MICrONS Project, rivals [...]
The Secret “Radar” Bacteria Use To Outsmart Their Enemies
A chemical radar allows bacteria to sense and eliminate predators. Investigating how microorganisms communicate deepens our understanding of the complex ecological interactions that shape our environment is an area of key focus for the [...]
Psychologists explore ethical issues associated with human-AI relationships
It's becoming increasingly commonplace for people to develop intimate, long-term relationships with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. At their extreme, people have "married" their AI companions in non-legally binding ceremonies, and at least two people [...]
When You Lose Weight, Where Does It Actually Go?
Most health professionals lack a clear understanding of how body fat is lost, often subscribing to misconceptions like fat converting to energy or muscle. The truth is, fat is actually broken down into carbon [...]
How Everyday Plastics Quietly Turn Into DNA-Damaging Nanoparticles
The same unique structure that makes plastic so versatile also makes it susceptible to breaking down into harmful micro- and nanoscale particles. The world is saturated with trillions of microscopic and nanoscopic plastic particles, some smaller [...]
AI Outperforms Physicians in Real-World Urgent Care Decisions, Study Finds
The study, conducted at the virtual urgent care clinic Cedars-Sinai Connect in LA, compared recommendations given in about 500 visits of adult patients with relatively common symptoms – respiratory, urinary, eye, vaginal and dental. [...]