RESTORING ACTIVE MEMORY Gabriel Easley

What It Is ◦DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is developing a brain implant that will be wired into a soldier’s brain and record their memories. If the soldier then suffers memory loss due to brain injury, the implant will then be used to restore those memories. ◦The Restoring Active Memory project has two key targets. The first is the ability to actually analyze and decode a human’s neural signals. The second is taking that knowledge of how we encode memories (stored experiences), and somehow use it to re-program a human brain that has experienced memory loss or traumatic brain injury.

Treatment History ◦Electric eels were used by the ancient Romans to treat migraines. ◦Luigi Galvani (the real-life inspiration for Dr. Frankenstein) experimented with electricity to reanimate dead tissue. ◦In the 1870s, evidence was shown that electrical stimulation of the brains of humans could produce movements. ◦Doctors have prescribed electroshock therapies to treat depression, schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders for the past 80 years.

Early Example of TBI ◦Phineas Gage – Mid-1800s Railroad Foreman suffered traumatic brain injury when a mine explosion shot a metal rod through his frontal lobe. In an instant, his personality changed completely as he went from calm and likeable to a rage of emotions and prone to crying outbursts. As his memories were affected as well, friends and family barely recognized him.

Who Will This Help ◦There are over a quarter-million U.S. soldiers suffering from TBI-related complications since 2000, including memory loss. ◦Anyone suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. ◦Patients with severe behavioral disorders. ◦There are between 1.6 and 3.8 million traumatic brain injuries each year resulting from sports and recreation activities in the U.S. alone. ◦Alzheimer’s patients. ◦Stroke victims with disrupted neuronal networks.

How LLNL Solution Works

How Prosthetic Neuronal Memory Silicon Chip Works ◦By studying impulse activity in the hippocampus, researchers at USC gather more definitive data about how signals are transferred to long-term memory. ◦Electrodes placed in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that retrieves the long-term memories created by the hippocampus, capture code believed to be responsible for image memory. ◦Using MRIs and other imaging techniques to show where the devices should go, surgeons would drill small holes through the skull, implanting the devices in multiple areas of the brain. The devices would be wirelessly monitored and powered by a battery embedded in the pectoral muscles.

Positive Aspects ◦Transhumanists believe this is the next logical step in humanity. ◦Interior proximity to blood brain barrier allows maximum interaction with vital systems over external devices. ◦Long-term financial benefits as revenue is diverted away from more traditional avenues of treatment and care (psychoanalysis and decades of rehabilitation) to a one-time operation. ◦Significantly improved quality of life for millions of people.

Negative Aspects ◦Bioconservatives believe this is a violation of basic humanity. ◦Early models will require constant supervision and maintenance. ◦Early devices will provide limited usage for such a high-risk procedure. ◦Losing the ability to forget is psychologically significant for humans as it enables us to deal with painful situations without actually reliving them.

What Lies Ahead ◦Industry heavyweights like Medtronic and The LLNL group, which previously contributed to the groundbreaking Argus II retinal prosthesis, are bringing innovative technology to the forefront. This includes wafer sensors that will allow greater coverage of electrodes on the brain and compatible technology from successful cochlear implants and deep brain stimulation. ◦The President’s own BRAIN initiative is backing DARPA on this key research and the work will likely become a legacy program, ensuring continued funding on the project for many years to come. ◦In the event that new neural pathways will be able to access memories and skills previously unknown to a recipient, there will undoubtedly be strong government oversight to prevent abuse.

References T. Berger, R. Hampson, D. Song, A. Goonawardena, V. Marmarelis, S. Deadwyler. (2011, June). "A cortical neural prosthesis for restoring and enhancing memory." Journal of Neural Engineering. National Center for Biotechnology Information. T. W. Berger, et al, "A Hippocampal Cognitive Prosthesis: Multi-Input, Multi-Output Nonlinear Modeling and VLSI Implementation." National Institute of Health (2012). Wikipedia: Biomedical Engineering. Angelica, Amara. "Electronic hippocampal system turns long-term memory on and off, enhances cognition | KurzweilAI."Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence. N.p., 17 June Web. 15 Oct Naci, L., Cusack, R., Jia, V., & Owen, A. (2013). The brain's silent messenger: Using selective attention to decode human thought for brain-based communication. The Journal of Neuroscience, Retrieved from Milders, M.; Fuchs, S.; Crawford, J. R. (2003). "Neuropsychological impairments and changes in emotional and social behaviour following severe traumatic brain injury". Journal of Clinical & Experimental Neuropsychology 25 (2): 157–172. Brain Implants Could Help Alzheimer’s and Others with Severe Memory Damage | MIT Technology Review." MIT Technology Review. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct Hampson RE, Song D, Opris I, et al. (December 2013). "Facilitation of memory encoding in primate hippocampus by a neuroprosthesis that promotes task-specific neural firing". Journal of Neural Engineering 10 (6):