Long ignored and widely misunderstood, that complex, wrinkly, not-so pretty, but all-so-critical command center within each of us has emerged from its reclusive corners of scientific labs into the center of public conversation. In 2014, The New York Times declared that next great scientific frontier is “inside your head.”
"There's never been a more exciting moment in neuroscience than now," brain scientist Gary Marcus writes. In announcing his budget for 2014, President Barack Obama highlighted a concerted effort to fund the next great wave of exploration that would turn us inward, into the complex center of our being, the human brain.
“As humans we can identify galaxies light-years away. We can study particles smaller than an atom, but we still haven’t unlocked the mystery of the three pounds of matter that sits between our ears.”
Barack Obama
U.S. President
This exciting research and innovation draws its attention because of its enormous untapped potential to affect and improve every aspect of the human condition. So what exactly is Neuroplasticity? Neuroplasticity is a big word, with a highly important application: If our brains are not “set” at an early age as widely believed, then a lifetime of improvement is now possible.
Sophisticated brain imaging technologies now give us a snapshot of the living brain. Scientists can listen in on the functional communication happening inside the brain in real time. This additional visibility is more than an advance in technology; it is the next frontier in treatment.
So where exactly is this new Mars-like expedition into our own minds taking us? What are these new frontiers of science and innovation? Down many fascinating, complex roads as diverse as the brain itself. Thousands of new patents in neuroscience offer a glimpse of innovations that could soon be available, like real-time neuromonitoring, cognitive training video games and virtual reality treatments.
INNOVATIONS AND INTERVENTIONS
- Focused drug development: Identification of new drug treatments and improvements of understanding of drug-based effects on anxiety, depression and other affective disorders.
- Brain imaging, electrophysiology: New surgical approaches and brain stimulation with electrodes treat Parkinson's disease, depression and Alzheimer's disease.
- Biomarkers: A biomarker helps to measure accurately and reliably the presence of Alzheimer’s and other diseases early on, which can help with treatment and care.
- Smartphone apps: Apps can enhance clinical management and early intervention through access to real-time patient data. Apps have a wide range of applications from anxiety mitigation to mood tracking for those with Bipolar disorders.
- Virtual Reality: Virtual reality technologies can be used to supplement psychotherapy by interacting in real time with computer-generated environments. VR applications simulate real experiences and can trigger anxiety to enhance real-time treatments.
Sophisticated brain imaging technologies now give us a snapshot of the living brain. Scientists can listen in on the functional communication happening inside the brain in real time. This additional visibility is more than an advance in technology; it is the next frontier in treatment. With innovation driving us forward, we can support evidence-based treatments for a range of illnesses and disorders and find new ways to keep our brains healthy as we age.
From science and innovation, we turn our attention now to the importance of personal resilience and how that can be nurtured and enhanced throughout the lifespan.
Read next topic:
Enhancement & Resiliency →
RESOURCES
Dartmouth Department of Computer Science. “Harnessing Smartphones to Prevent Psychosis.”
http://web.cs.dartmouth.edu/news-events/harnessing-smartphones-prevent-psychosis
The David Anderson Research Group, Caltech. “Neural Circuitry of Fear and Anxiety.” https://davidandersonlab.caltech.edu/research/fear_anxiety
InTech. “Virtual Realities in the Treatment of Mental Disorders: A Review of the Current State of Research.” http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/39049/InTech-Virtual_realities_in_the_treatment_of_mental_disorders_a_review_of_the_current_state_of_research.pdf
Journal of Neurosurgery. “Direct visualization of deep brain stimulation targets in Parkinson disease with the use of 7-tesla magnetic resonance imaging.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3160785/
The White House Briefing Room. “Remarks by the President on the BRAIN Initiative and American Innovation.” https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/04/02/remarks-president-brain-initiative-and-american-innovation