Neuroprosthetics

The Melding of Man and Machine
“Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology,” proclaimed the narrator at the introduction of the 1970s TV series, The Six Million Dollar Man. The program depicts a scene where scientists are hard at work reconstructing the shattered body of a crash victim with the use of bionic implants the victim could control with his mind. While controlling prosthetics with one’s mind may seem nothing more than science fiction or fantasy someone came up with in their spare time, modern research suggests otherwise. Current research has shown that scientists are not that far off from making this fantasy a reality, brain implants, or otherwise known as neuroprosthetics, are an emerging reality much like how laser eye
surgery was several decades ago. Neuroprosthetics, derived from the work of both neuroscience and bioengineering, are a multitude of electronic devices that possess the capability of replacing motor, sensory, or cognitive processes that may have been damaged due to the results of an injury or some form of disease. The possibilities and advancements in human life that neuroprosthetics possess are limited only by one’s imagination. Imagine a future where a retinal chip bestows upon you the ability to see in the dark or a memory enhancement chip that allows you to gain a perfect recollection of everything you have ever read. (WSJ) With the support of the public in this new and emerging reality, neuroprosthetics have a future of not only helping disabled and paralyzed individuals regain the ability to move freely once again on their own terms, but to also improve the quality of human life. People deprived of their ability to move freely would be able to rid themselves of their previous lives of dependence and helplessness for a new one full of their own independence and freedom. Unlike similarly known devices such as pacemakers or dental crowns, neuroprosthetics have the potential to change just how we perceive the world in front of us. For better or for worse, these devices not only have the ability to help better ourselves as human beings but also can become a part of who we are and people will have to learn to accept this technology and the choices made regarding it. The public need not fear this technology, it has been around since the late 1950s in the form of cochlear implants. Cochlear implants, or a device that directly stimulates the auditory nerve in the inner ear, have been “used by more than 300,000 hearing-impaired people around the world.” (Marcus) There have been many advancements since the first cochlear implant was successfully created. The earliest challenge for the cochlear implant was the process of effectively locating the electrodes necessary for the device to work effectively. The process required the insertion of thin needles into the brain until the required depth was acquired. Recent systems, however, have greatly improved from what they once were in the past and are able to utilize much more advanced techniques and equipment. While the process may have improved over the years, the solutions to the challenges regarding the device still remain out of reach for today’s scientists. The fact that the brain is capable of floating freely inside of the skull has provided the challenge that has so far stumped scientists for years. Minor movements of the device can effectively render the entire concept useless. Cochlear implants, today, have managed to become a routine procedure in children and adults alike. The device has helped hundreds of thousands of people across the world and have even managed to make “speech development possible and enable a majority of them to use the telephone.” (Rosahl). The advancements in modern cochlear implants has improved a multitude of lives and will continue to. Neuroprosthetics are a huge leap forward in the scientific community and will continue to be as technology continues to advance. For those who live their lives impaired or disabled, they struggle daily with living while at the same time trying to live a seemingly normal life. Not only do neuroprosthetics contain the potential to improve people’s lives, but they can also be used as a tool for neuroscientists to better understand the daily functions of the brain. The concept itself is a door opener for scientists to understand how the brain is able to handle the differing functions our bodies require of it. From the simplest to the most complex of actions, the brain is able to handle it all with relative ease and this is cause for one of the greatest mysteries of the human body. The relationship between the progression of neuroscience and the advancements in neuroprosthetics are deeply and complexly intertwined with each other. Neuroscience helps to contribute to scientists gaining a better and deeper understanding of the neural system and how it works while it is this knowledge that allows the progression of more function specific neuroprosthetics. With advances in device safety and a better understanding of how the brain functions, the future of the use of neuroprosthetics will become more of a commonality and help those with severe disabilities live a normal independent life. The future holds an exciting prospect for the acceptance and everyday usage of the variety of neuroprosthetics. With all the possibilities neuroprosthetics has to offer the world, you would think people would be jumping at the chance to enhance themselves for the better, however this is not always the case. With every new step in the development of technologies, there is always the potential for abuse. To the public it may seem as if the enhancement of one’s self with the connection of neuroprosthetics to the human body and brain will appear, at least at first, morally wrong. While others may argue that these enhancements is what will make human life more worthwhile and give freedom and independence to those who have lost it. This all depends on whether or not society is able to respond appropriately to the social challenges these devices will provide, including how this technological advancement will be distributed fairly among the members of society. For years we have seen the movies and books that depict a variety of science fiction scenarios involving the creation of cyborgs, monstrosities, man-machine creations and the imminent transformation of the human race into what can only be perceived as a semi-electronic species. This concept has left the public not only perplexed but somewhat fearful of what may come of this technology. We can only consider the fact that if this technology is not handled carefully, we may at some point have a Terminator on our hands. In the future, if people were to possess a neural enhancement, what would be there to stop others from hacking into a person’s brain and hijacking it? How would you know if whether or not your thoughts were you own and not something else someone planted in your brain? Security will be a foreseeable fact in the future of this technology. The possibility of the abuse of neuroprosthetics has created provoked reactions against the scientific progress of this technology. Consider, for example, the following quote:
“Some people want to engineer their babies. They hope to buy them an edge in the lottery of life, to fix them up with special genes for extra intelligence or height or skin color or sexual orientation. How is this different from giving your kid piano lessons and extra tutoring, some of them ask? It's very much like the difference between cutting out junk food and injecting yourself with steroids. There is a line -- and the vast majority of us can see it.” (Anderson)
Even though we already have several forms of the neuroelectronic technology available to the public, it can be seen that few human beings would freely choose to permanently enhance themselves with an implanted electronic device. However as long as the technology doesn’t progress to the point where the implants have advantages unsurpassed by less invasive means, the concerns about an enhanced cyborg can be put off until later. Before we can even think of the future possibilities of such a technology, we must focus on the challenges currently presented to us.
In order for a working neuroprosthetic to achieve its set function, it must overcome a series of challenges. As is required of any form of implanted device, it must meet the requirement of being small enough to be considered minimally invasive while also being able to communicate with the outside world wirelessly. Having wires sticking out of your head is not the most appealing idea nor is it the most ideal solution to the problem. The minimal size the device would require it to have no battery to be imbedded in the device, it would have to operate on an extremely low power consumption if it is not to harm any of the body’s surrounding tissue with an increase in temperature. Another very important issue in regards to the technology itself, is the material of which the device is made of. The more biocompatible the material is with the body and the surrounding tissue, the less of a reaction the device will cause thus resulting in an overall lower risk and a longer implantation period. The next challenge is a better way for doctors to safely insert the probes necessary to place the electrodes into people’s brains. Currently the safest option is to “drill small holes through the skull and to insert long, thin electrodes until they reach their destination deep inside the brain.” (Marcus) Neuroprosthetics will require a great deal of advances before there is an easy way to gain access to the device once it has been implanted and the skull is sealed back up. However once a biocompatible device has been created and solves the previously mentioned challenges, the final obstacle will be the creation of a way to interpret the complex information the nerve cells in the brain pass along to the rest of the human
body. Neuroprosthetics, while the technology itself may be a scientific leap forward towards a better future and improved human lives, they also come with their fair share of downsides and risks. The question that will most likely arise is “does the benefit of the prosthetic implant justify the risk of adverse effects to the individual and to society or is it desirable to enhance human capabilities by neuroelectronic devices?” (Rosahl) As with any form of public discussion, the arguments regarding the topic of neuroprosthetics have the possibility of becoming clouded by fear, doubt, greed, and philosophical differences in opinion. The answer of both of the previously mentioned questions can be found in looking at cochlear implants. While there is no doubt in the benefits of the implant and how it has helped thousands of people without major risk or harm. Despite this, the implant itself is not as universally accepted as a therapeutic intervention as some might think. There are those in the world who see it “as an intrusion into their way of life, claiming that the implant threatens to eliminate their standing as a culture and thus compromise their autonomy.” (Rosahl) Neuroprosthetics, in general, are commonly thought as a technology that causes people to become transformed in a radical way when compared to other techniques and it is becoming a common fear that neuroprosthetics when implanted into one’s brain may threaten their sense of personal identity. As Hollywood’s cyborgs and man-machine creations slowly become more and more confused with today’s reality to the public, the definition between man and machine is slowly melding into one definition and is creating something entirely new. Finally, in conclusion to the information presented, it can be seen that no matter what something may be it will always have its benefits and its downsides. It’s how we weigh the worth of both that we can reach an agreement on whether or not something is good or bad for society. As President Ronald Reagan once said, “The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted, it belongs to the brave.” While Reagan may not have been talking about neuroprosthetics, his words still hold a ring of truth towards this concept. Only those brave enough to be willing to take advantage of the benefits of neuroprosthetics have to offer and live with the associated risks, will outperform others in anything from everyday contests for jobs to the athletic field to armed conflict. These differences hold the key to changing society and human life in new ways and opening up possibilities we can scarcely imagine.