In the Data-Driven Neurotechnology Lab at Radboud University, researcher Jordy Thielen is also working on Brain-Computer Interfacing, a way in which, without using our muscles, we can still react to the world around us. And for that, so far, they don't need a chip implanted in the brain!
It's not thought reading
'Firstly, showing brain activity is not the same as thought reading,' says Thielen. 'In our lab, we visualise the brain's signals as soon as a person is actively communicating. This can be a message to someone else, but also an impulse to move your legs.'
Thielen continues: 'The question is then: can you also use those signals to control a computer, car or wheelchair? Can you have a conversation without having to talk or type?' Great news for paralysed people or who can no longer talk so well after a stroke. If we can do this without a chip, why are other parties, such as Neuralink, using this method? Thielen explains that it is mainly about what information you want to find and how practical and accessible the technology is.
A chip or a cap?
'The information Neuralink reads out with their chip is a more precise form of the information we also read out,' says Thielen. 'The way we get that information is a lot different.'
He explains: 'Musk's company puts a foreign object into the brain through surgery with a high-tech robot. With that chip, they can image brain activity at a specific spot in the brain close to the brain cells. In doing so, Musk is making an important contribution to science. It also has many drawbacks, because such an operation can be very intense for a patient. The brain can also reject the chip and create scar tissue, which can cause the chip to malfunction after a while.'
He continues: 'Our lab's approach is much more accessible, safer and cheaper: we measure brain activity from the outside using a cap with a pair of electrodes. In doing so, we make less specific measurements than Musk because we are further away from the brain cells, but that is not a problem. We use a clever trick to image large groups of neurons.' He explains: 'You have to imagine that all the neurons in the brain are interconnected. We can measure that well outside the head if we have large groups of neurons communicating. Even without (unexpected) consequences for the patient.'
Communicating is giving attention
"In our lab, we have been able to reduce communication to what the brain pays attention to, says Thielen. He explains: 'We are nowhere near able to make someone's thoughts appear on a screen. What we can do with our technology, however, is show different pictures, for example, various letters, on a screen and give each image a unique characteristic. Right now, we are working with light patterns. By attaching a distinctive light pattern to each picture or letter, we can quickly tell which light pattern someone has been paying attention to through brain activity. Because we know which light pattern belongs to which letter, the patient can choose that letter without having to talk or type.
He continues, "We could apply the same idea with sound. For example, do you pay attention to a 'yes' in your left ear or a 'no' in your right ear? We can measure and visualise all that.
Inclusive technology
Thielen concludes: 'Ultimately, we aim to open up new communication channels to contribute to improving people's quality of life, regardless of their physical limitations.'
Therefore, especially now, let us strive for a world where technological progress continues to go hand in hand with inclusivity.