2024-07-05 08:26:25
A domestic research team has succeeded in controlling emotions and behavior by stimulating the brain of an animal with a magnetic field. If the operating principles of various brain circuits are elucidated, it is expected that it can also be used to develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
The Institute for Basic Science (IBS) announced on the 4th that it has developed the world’s first ‘Nano-MIND (Magnetogenetic Interface for NeuroDynamics)’ technology that can wirelessly and remotely control brain neural circuits using magnetic fields. The research team led by IBS Nanomedicine Research Center Director Jinwoo Cheon, Research Fellows Minseok Kwak and Jaehyun Lee, and the Cognition and Sociality Research Group participated in this research.
The human brain is made up of more than 100 billion brain nerve cells (neurons). In order to elucidate high-level brain functions and find out the cause of brain diseases, it is important to control the brain circuits made up of neurons. Control technology is also considered essential for the development of ‘brain-computer interface (BCI)’ that connects the brain and computers. Representative examples include ‘Neuralink’, a brain science startup founded by Elon Musk, which is developing a ‘brain implant’ that can read thoughts by implanting it into the human brain.
The research team succeeded in controlling high-level brain functions such as animal emotions, sociality, and motivation by freely controlling specific brain circuits using the next-generation magnetogenetics (study of influencing cell function through mechanical stimulation by magnetic fields) nano-MIND technology. They selectively activated the desired brain circuits using magnetic fields and magnetic nanoparticles.
The research results showed that female rats in the experimental group with activated brain circuits that control maternal love showed caring behaviors, such as bringing pups to their nests even though they were not mother rats. They also successfully controlled food intake by activating motivational brain circuits in the lateral hypothalamus. Rats with activated inhibitory neurons in the motivational circuit showed a 100% increase in appetite and eating behavior.
Director Cheon Jin-woo said, “This will be the world’s first brain science platform technology that controls specific brain circuits with magnetic fields,” and “It can be used to develop sophisticated artificial neural networks and two-way BCI technology, as well as to develop treatments for brain and nerve diseases.” The results of this study were published in the international academic journal ‘Nature Nanotechnology’ on the 3rd.
Reporter Jang Eun-ji [email protected]
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2024-07-05 08:26:25