Chapter 17: Solving Human Problems

Question 1

Using hair-thin wires inserted into the brains of what animals did scientists first record the firing patterns of cells located in the premotor, primary motor, and posterior parietal cortical areas of the brain?

Answer 1

Monkeys and rats

Question 2

Neuroscientists and surgeons implanted ___ in the brains of patients with epilepsy, paralysis, stroke, or ALS for them to eventually communicate and move independently

Answer 2

electrode arrays

Question 3

What breakthrough occurred in 2011?

Answer 3

After months of extensive training, quadriplegic patients learned to control the movements of a third robotic arm

Question 4

Electrode chip implanted in patients’ brains are connected to ___.

Answer 4

Sleeves or gloves worn over injured limbs

Question 5

A parallel line of research to BCI has explored applying this technology to the broader field of ___.

Answer 5

Neuroprostheses

Question 6

How do neuroprosthetic devices provide input to a patient’s nervous system?

Answer 6

Retinal implants and prosthetic limbs

Question 7

What are the most sophisticated neuroprostheses still limited by?

Answer 7

The number of electrodes and the lifespan of those implanted electrodes

Question 8

Current electrode arrays are limited to how many neurons?

Answer 8

100 or so neurons

Question 9

What is the most advanced and precise method of focused electrical stimulation?

Answer 9

Deep brain stimulation (DBS), inspired by pacemakers engineered for the heart

Question 10

How are the electrodes of the DBS device set up in the patient’s body?

Answer 10

Surgically imbedded into specific brain regions

Question 11

What disorders has DBS been used to treat?

Answer 11

Epilepsy, dystonia, Tourette’s syndrome, and more recently obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

Question 12

Now researchers are investigating whether the use of DBS can be extended to what types of disorders?

Answer 12

Mood disorders, such as treatment-resistant depression

Question 13

DBS requires regular neurological check up and battery changes every how many years?

Answer 13

3 to 4 years

Question 14

What are the noninvasive treatments can stimulate cells near the surface of the brain?

Answer 14

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Question 15

How do these noninvasive treatments work?

Answer 15

They use magnetic fields or low electrical currents to alter neural activity in a specific region of the human cortex and deeper brain structures that it connects to

Question 16

For patients with depression, where are pulses focused over?

Answer 16

Left prefrontal cortex

Question 17

During TMS therapy, a nurse or technician places ___ on the patient’s head

Answer 17

Magnetic stimulator

Question 18

tDCS uses what amount of direct current to tune the brain?

Answer 18

1 to 2 milliamperes