The brain may need a bit of technology in computer chips when disease or trauma kills off portions of it and causes disability.

Science fiction writers use research advancements to create captivating stories that demand our attention. Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" also sparked interest by exploring human kindness towards those with physical abnormalities. Now, science fiction has jumped into other research facilities worldwide where brain implants may be the future. The implants may be both biological and metallic chips.

The future is here, and even though it looks like we are making baby steps in that effort, the steps are incredibly substantial in the impact that patients can experience. One area of exploration, implanting specific electrodes in the brain, has progressed over the past decade.

Evidence shows that individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries (msTBI) struggle to reenter society and experience happiness due to problems with executive function (judgment and information processing). Problems in specific networks cause these issues, and an area of the thalamus is an important part of those networks. But there's more than just implanting electrodes where there is promise.

BCIs were first tested on animals in labs during the 1960s and 1970s, with some notable experiments in Spain involving bulls. This marked the beginning of these systems. As scientists learned about the brain, they developed advanced systems that let paralyzed people control robotic arms, play video games, and communicate with their minds.

Of course, the bulls experiment was supposed to assist clinicians in developing ways to control the behavior of highly aggressive psychiatric patients. There are indications that this system prefers using punishment for control instead of utilizing neural networks for voluntary control.

The BCIs experiments were once mostly studied in universities, but since Neuralink’s founding in 2016, more and more businesses have become interested in them. The opening screen on Neuralink’s website is attempting to recruit people for their research projects. The fact that their site is mentioned in this article does not, in any way, indicate that I either support or am responsible for patient recruitment for this research protocol. Please understand that.

Intriguing as it may seem, when either trauma or disease destroys areas of brain tissue, we would like to think that we might be able to use "replacement parts" such as a small tissue plug that would repair it. Unfortunately, although exciting, it is impractical for many reasons and one is that brain connections may not be able to be hooked up to these new tissue implants. The brain has a defense mechanism, primarily made up of astrocyte cells, to seal off areas with scar tissue and prevent hookups. this may be why massive strokes are so fatal, the astrocytes seal off areas that may aid in continuing life.

What, then, about research that has shown brain tissue cannot only be grown in petri dishes, but there is the ability to accelerate their growth? Still, we must address the issue of hookups, and it appears that we haven't solved it yet. Then came discoveries in stem cells, those undifferentiated bits that promised to be anything we want if we placed them properly.

I recall a college biology class where the professor discussed growing an eye in an embryo's stomach by implanting specific stem cells. It shocked me then, but it awakened all of us to the possibilities.

Since the discovery of stem cells, scientists have been searching for ways to "re-seed" the aging brain. As I've noted, stem cells have the ability to be changed into any type of cell in the body. They can become cardiomyocytes, nerves, muscle, or liver cells, and so on. Currently, the body has a store of stem cells in bones and specific brain areas as well as muscle, heart, skin, and liver. In this, it's really like having replacement parts, but we need to be good enough mechanics to learn how to use them.

What about brain computer implants as is being researched by corporations currently? Although we think that since implants for certain activities were successful, these would also be accommodated by the brain. But that isn't the case. Brain tissue is extremely sensitive to any changes or friction in it. This stop-gap measure of protection in the brain has been invented by different methods of implanting.

Ways to help prevent tissue damage and, ultimately, ways to make implanted electrical devices last longer and work better in the long run were also investigated. Brain implants could be treated with anti-inflammation methods by being covered with soft gels that make them less likely to rub against brain tissue and allow drugs to be released slowly.

Future research is speeding up at an incredible rate, but we still have promises to keep. After injuries to the central nervous system (CNS), like those seen in car crashes or sports injuries, it's hard to get brain cells to grow back. Even when a neurogenesis-associated repair reaction may happen, it is hard for cells to fully regenerate. At the moment, there are no practical ways to speed up the regeneration of brain tissue or nerve regeneration.

The promise of promoting re-attachment or re-growth of nerves after injury is intriguing and ongoing work. Scientists now have a lab setting for cells that might help nerves grow back. Brain or spinal cord injuries rarely heal quickly because they leave behind fluid-filled holes and scars that stop new tissue from growing. This issue is currently being addressed.

In an age where AI is advancing, we are optimistic that it can help tackle difficult issues concerning the brain and life.