The University of Southampton

Author: Daisy Sparks

Neuroprosthesis – Where do we draw the line?

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After a long day of lectures, my housemates and I decided to watch a couple of episodes of Black Mirror on Netflix. This is an series based on the dangers of technological advancements in a dystopian near future. The scary aspect of Black Mirror is that the rationale and vision for these technological advancements portrayed in the series is highly compatible with our own. Even with good intentions such as curing disease and reducing crime, brings its own consequences.

We watched an episode whereby all your memories were recorded so that you could watch them back or could be used by police and authorities. In the show, it was originally designed to help with those suffering with Alzheimers, but now has evolved into something more sinister than intended. It brought up an ethical debate within our house on whether or not we would do it, as well as the topic of free will.

We discussed that very few have an issue with prostheses to help with motor functions such as hip and knee replacements, prosthetic legs, and even replacement organs such as a pacemaker. However, what about prostheses in the brain? I am a Neuroscience student and realised there were very few examples of neuroprosthesis so, naturally, I was intrigued. The brain is one of the only organs in the body where we cannot get a transplant, and this is only explored in science fiction.

Crminal (2016) – A convict is implanted with a dead CIA agent’s memories to finish an assignment
Total Recall (1990) – A company that implants realistic false memories, and chooses one set on Mars where he is a Martian secret agent
Get Out (2017) –  A family transplants people’s brains into others’ bodies, granting them preferred physical characteristics and a twisted form of immortality

What are the current technological possibilities?

Elon Musk is currently developing a technology called ‘Neuralink’ that will give people with quadriplegia the ability to control computers and mobile devices with their thoughts. Fascinating!

https://neuralink.com/ – Read more about their approach and applications

Here is a podcast discussing the current breakthroughs in commercialising Brain-Computer Interfaces using a minimally implantation method and a soft electrode device. They explain how they received lots of support in the early stages of research, showing it to be an area of interest for investors. Their approach is to build on existing research and translating that into clinical practice.

Craig Mermal on working at Precision Neuroscience – Neural Implant Podcast

Next Steps…

If our liver stopped working, we could use stem cells, and get a transplant, and there is even research regarding a 3D-printed liver. What about the brain? For an Alzheimers or Multiple Sclerosis patient, would you consider using stem cells or an implant to replace parts of the hippocampus or myelin for neurons? Yes, most likely. What about someone with Schizophrenia, would you replace their frontal or temporal lobes? What about depression, autism, ADHD or OCD? By definition, they have an illness or a disorder.

Where would we draw the line?

Discussion point:

Imagine someone in the army or someone who has experienced trauma. Prosthesis is a way of improving someone’s quality of life, so how far can we go? Would we attempt to make people less emotional, smarter, remove traumatic memories, and stop people from experiencing fear? This would certainly improve their capabilities as a soldier, improving their quality of life and removing the risk of developing PTSD, experienced by many soldiers.

Is this improving their quality of life or eradicating a vital part of their identity?

How would society change if this was the norm?

Here are 2 episodes of Black Mirror that show the applications of neural implants that go beyond treating neurodegenerative disease…

My final thoughts:

I believe that neuroprosthesis should be encouraged as it could change millions of lives for the better. Only with strict regulations can these advancements benefit society and help those suffering with physical and mental health problems. I don’t belive that society will be benefitted from technology enhancing memory, intelligence or physical capabilities in those who don’t require serious help or assistance.

The Mystery of Extreme Sleep Deprivation

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We all know the effects of a late night, especially if we need to get up early in the morning. We’re more irritable, less focused and less alert. I previously thought that symptoms of extreme sleep deprivation of around 48 hours or more, might be similar. However, this is not the case. Interestingly, in extreme cases, your perception of reality can become very distorted and you may experience intense hallucinations. The first symptoms can be seen within 24-48 hours of no sleep.

What is Microsleep?

Sleep is essential for maintaining pathways in the brain that are important for forming memories and retaining information. I wanted to focus on one symptom that can been seen in both minor and extreme cases, known as microsleep. During microsleep, your brain is not processing external information and you have a reduced response to external stimuli such as noise. This happens for around 10 seconds and most people may not realise it happening. Have you ever been stuck at a red light and felt yourself drift off even though your eyes are still open?

Summer, J. (2023) Microsleep: Symptoms, causes, and safety risks, Sleep Foundation. Edited by A. Rehman. Available at: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/microsleep (Accessed: March 8, 2023).

Attached is a podcast with Professor Russell Foster talking about the effects of sleep deprivation and the relationship between sleep and mood disorders and abnormal cognitive behaviour. Here he discusses microsleep and the long-term effects of night shifts. This is a trustworthy source as he has scientific explanations for his conclusions but uses language that is easy to understand.

The Dangers Of Sleep Deprivation 2016 – Prof Russell Foster, Oxford UK

How can we further our understanding of extreme sleep deprivation?

Brain waves can be measured with the help of an electroencephalogram (EEG) and fMRI scans to show active areas of the brain whilst sleep deprived and compare this to the patient when well rested. The benefits of these methods are that the patient can remain awake so a real-time impression of the brain can be made. However, the patient must be made aware of the short and long-term risks associated with sleep deprivation and in order for the study to be controlled, the patient may need to be observed to ensure they are not asleep.

This was discovered in a 2018 study on sleep deprivation, where results were gathered from 760 participants, where first symptoms, around 24-48 hours in, included:

  • Distorted perception
  • Anxiety
  • Depersonalisation – an altered sense of self where you feel disconnected from your own thoughts and body.
  • Loss of time and sense of orientation

From 48 hours:

  • Hallucinations
  • Delusions
  • Disorientation
  • Depression
  • Euphoria
  • Anger/Hostility

From 72 hours:

  • Complex hallucinations – including visual, sensory and auditory disturbances.
  • Elaborated delusions
  • Aggressive attacks
  • Mood changes

This is because the brain still undergoes R.E.M (rapid eye movement) phase whilst awake so you experience a dream-like state whilst still awake. This has been observed in multiple experiments and is known as sleep deprivation psychosis.

Sutherby, R. (2022) Can sleep loss cause symptoms of schizophrenia?, Psych Central. Psych Central. Available at: https://psychcentral.com/health/sleep-deprivation-psychosis#what-causes-the-psychosis (Accessed: March 8, 2023).

Many ethical questions arise when trying to conduct experiments to understand sleep further. When mice have been tested in the past, they have all died as a result of sleep deprivation. So, extreme caution must be taken when testing humans. Older experiments can tell us what happens when we don’t just miss an hour per night, but go weeks without any sleep.

This YouTube video briefly highlights the different attempts made by scientists throughout history to further our understanding of sleep that had unfortunate effects. This video is animated and in laymen’s terms so is highly engaging and easy to understand.

Human Sleep Experiment That Went Horribly Wrong – The Infographics

Conclusion and Reflection

I chose this topic because it had a really interesting link between science and ethics. I find the topic of sleep fascinating, and what makes this topic even more interesting is that it is incredibly difficult to study. Nowadays, it is considered unethical to conduct experiments exceeding 48 hours of sleep deprivation. After watching the videos and listening to the podcasts, I found myself wondering if sleep deprivation is described as a physical or mental health illness.This means the topic of sleep is one big mystery and there is still so much we don’t know, or may never know.

Why Neuroscience is the Best Course

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Neuroscience gives you the answers to a vast range of questions:

  • Why do we dream?
  • Why causes Alzheimer’s?
  • What happens when we sleep?
  • Are we born with different personalities?
  • Why do we all think differently?
  • Do serial killers have different brains to us?

Take a look at breakthroughs from the past year! – And there are new discoveries everyday!

Neuroscience covers multiple diseases that affect many people – including celebs!

Muhammad Ali and Michael J Fox are well known figures that have Parkinson’s disease.

Ronald Reagan suffered from Alzheimer’s

Lil Wayne has epilepsy

Epilepsy:

I have had epilepsy and seizures since I was 11 and was the main reason I gained an interest in Neuroscience – I wanted to know what was happening to me!