Brain implants without touching the brain

Electrically stimulated areas of the brain

There is something a little awkward when we talk about technology in the brain, because in most cases that means opening the skull and directly manipulating the brain tissue, and that is where a lot of people stop, but there is an alternative, an implant that does not enter the brain and still manages to influence how it works.

The company Motif Neurotech has just received approval from the FDA to begin human trials in the United States with a device focused on treating resistant depression, and that detail is important because we are talking about people who have already tried medications, therapy and nothing worked, now this new approach comes in.

The device is called a dot and it is small or about the size of a blueberry, but what really differentiates it is not the size, it is where it is placed, simply translated, instead of being implanted inside the brain, it is placed on top of it in the skull without penetrating the brain tissue. This greatly reduces the surgical risk, less invasive, less possibility of complications, more viable in the real world. And yet it manages to do something powerful, electrically stimulating areas of the brain related to depression, as if it were adjusting circuits that are not working as they should.

Another interesting point is that it is completely wireless, without an internal battery, without cables coming out of the body, this makes use more comfortable and opens up space for continuous treatments over time and here begins the part that really draws attention, the idea is not to use it as a desperate last resort, but to evolve towards something closer to continuous monitoring, almost like a sensor that accompanies and adjusts the functioning of the brain over time.

The study is now going to prove just that, safety, functioning and mainly if it really improves people's lives, but of course, there are still important questions, how far can this type of intervention go? What are the long term effects? and to what extent we should adjust the brain in this way.

Although manipulating the brain is not the only way to change human behavior, sometimes just connecting the body is enough.