In the Era of Neuroscience, a Quadriplegic Patient Suddenly Stands Up [Reading Science]

Governments Worldwide Mobilize R&D Efforts to Address Aging and Future Societies
BMI Technology for Patients May Be Commercialized Within 5 Years, for General Public Within 10 Years

A quadriplegic patient smiles with joy after successfully drinking a beverage by moving a robotic arm using only their thoughts.
[Photo by YouTube screen capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] In the distant future, humanity, having fled to space to escape Earth's destruction and relying on science and technology for survival, faces a choice. One side advocates implanting chips in the brain to become a new kind of human surpassing gods, while the other argues it is morally and religiously unacceptable. This is the background story of the famous Japanese animation series "Macross." Although fictional, since the 1990s, rapid advancements in medical technology, life sciences, and ICT such as computers have brought this closer to reality. Experts predict that within the next decade, an era will open where biochips implanted in the human brain will treat various brain diseases and paralysis and manage health. Additionally, brain computing technology that integrates humans and computers by implanting chips in the brain and utilizing wearable computers and robots is also being researched. How far can this new technology of humanity, called "neuroscience," advance?

N1 Link Chip Developed by Neuralink

◇How far has BMI technology come?

= The most notable recent field is research establishing interfaces between humans and machines, also called brain computing, known as Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) technology. It is divided into invasive technology, which implants chips in the brain, and non-invasive technology, which uses indirect devices. Invasive research is mainly conducted on primates, while non-invasive research is conducted on humans. In May, Stanford University in the U.S. developed a technology combining BMI and handwriting decoding artificial intelligence (AI) that allows typing on a computer keyboard with the brain without moving hands, published in the international journal "Nature." Last year, a study decoding 76% of brainwaves to convert them into text in real-time was published in Nature Communications. Recently, Brown University and others in the U.S. developed a wireless brain-computer interface (BCI) device that measures and transmits brainwaves, successfully enabling paralyzed patients to use tablet PCs. Private companies are also actively conducting R&D. Neuralink, a biotech startup founded by Elon Musk, recently succeeded in implanting a chip called "N1 Link" in a monkey's brain to read neural signals and control a game joystick. In South Korea, in 2018, a research team at Catholic Kwandong University International St. Mary's Hospital succeeded for the first time domestically in reading thoughts from neural cell signals detected by microelectrode chips implanted in a monkey's brain to move a robotic arm.

A chip in the brain captures the brain signals of a monkey to control a joystick.

◇Countries' all-out research efforts for the future

The U.S. government is promoting a large-scale project called the "Brain Initiative" to map neural circuits and develop innovative technologies. From 2013 to 2025, it plans to invest $4.64 billion (about 5.5 trillion KRW) focusing on human connectome, pain and neurological disease treatments. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a total budget of $42.9 billion this year, with $8.5 billion (19.8%) allocated specifically for brain science research. Research on brain imaging for Alzheimer's disease and national dementia plans for treating age-related diseases are also receiving substantial investment.

The European Union (EU) launched the "Human Brain Project" in 2013 aiming to simulate the brain exactly on supercomputers, with €1.02 billion (about 1.4 trillion KRW) invested by next year. In 2018, brain science research was included as a major task in Horizon Europe, which has a total investment of €100 billion. The UK announced a national dementia response plan in 2012, investing ?730 million from 2015 to 2020, with plans to double this by 2025. Last year, the UK Brain Bank Network announced plans to strengthen the brain tissue database, and the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) identifies brain science as one of its long-term scientific goals with focused investment. Japan is also concentrating research on implementing "human interface technology using brain science." In South Korea, the 3rd Basic Plan for Brain Research Promotion was finalized in 2018, investing a total of 182.17 billion KRW in 2020 alone in brain science foundational technologies, future brain convergence technologies, and dementia research, accelerating R&D.

◇Neuroscience still has a long way to go

Neuroscience, mainly focused on BMI, still has a long way to go. The brain's functions and signals are so complex that they resist human intervention. A representative example is Facebook's recent abandonment of developing technology to read brainwaves and use them as an interface for wearable computing. Currently, the international level of brain science is limited to gradually identifying which brain regions are responsible for human thought, physical abilities, and communication with organs. For example, a 2014 study that identified one or two cells in the hippocampus responsible for human spatial memory won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Discovering the role of one or two cells out of 100 billion brain cells is considered a significant achievement in neuroscience.

Ethical, religious, and social controversies regarding implanting chips in human brains or personal information leakage remain hurdles. In this regard, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is conducting research through the Neuroethics forum, inviting neuroscientists and legal experts to strictly manage information collected from brain research and address anticipated ethical issues. Dr. Jo Il-ju of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) explained, "So far, although problems may arise from the development of brain science, there is a consensus that regulating scientific and technological progress at this stage is not appropriate," adding, "We need to monitor developments and prepare countermeasures as needed."

Technologies for treating patients or stimulating specific brain areas to improve human physical functions are expected to reach commercialization soon. Brain doping, which became an issue at the recent Tokyo Olympics, is a representative case. Among athletes, methods stimulating specific brain regions to secrete hormones and enhance athletic performance are already popular. Dr. Jo said, "BMI technology for treating paralyzed patients and using assistive devices could become common within five years, and brain stimulation technologies for health management within ten years," adding, "South Korea should continue financial investment to secure foundational technologies and focus research on industrializable technologies, pursuing a two-track strategy to leap to the forefront."