Brain-Computer Interfaces in a Nutshell

Telekinesis has been a common theme in the sci-fi genre for several decades now. I’m sure at some point in your childhood, you’ve dreamed about being able to control objects with your mind. It was always the TV remote for me. Well guess what? You will be able to do EXACTLY that in the near future❗❗

Now, you’re probably thinking, “wait…WHAT!?”, and I would completely understand. The concept of telekinesis seems so far off. However, we are unbelievably close to achieving it, thanks to the power of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).

What exactly is a BCI?

In simple terms, a BCI is a system that connects your brain to a computer and allows it to interact with your brain. The computer tracks the electric signals emitted by your neurons and performs the task it is programmed to do based on the magnitude of those waves. This requires a program written on the computer to tell it how to interpret the waves along with a device to record your brain waves. You can think of your brain as a controller that you’re plugging into the computer.

A bit about the brain…

To understand the functionality of a BCI and how it works, you‘ll need to understand how the human brain functions. Consider this a free biology lesson;

Membrane Potential

Membrane potential is the difference in electrical charge between the inside and outside of a neuron.

The difference in charge develops through the grouping of ions (elements or compounds that have extra protons or electrons) in the inside and outside of the membrane. When a neuron is at rest, there are more sodium and chorine ions outside of the cell and more potassium and organic anions (negatively charged ions) inside of the cell. Since there are more anions inside of the cell than outside, the membrane potential would be negative. The magnitude of the membrane potential of a resting neuron is generally around -70 millivolts. There is a transport protein called the sodium-potassium pump which continuously pumps 3 sodium ions outside of the cell and 2 potassium ions into the cell. This is what maintains the negative membrane potential.

Neurons

So, there are about 85 billion neurons in our brain. A neuron is a nerve cell and is the primary functional unit of our nervous system.

There are parts looking like tree branches that are sticking out of the neuron which are called dendrites. The dendrites are the area where neurons receive most of their information. There are receptors on dendrites that are designed to pick up signals emitted by other neurons which are in the form of a chemical. This chemical is called neurotransmitter. It’s similar to how humans communicate: the words we say are the signals, but they are emitted in the form of sound.

The signals cause electrical changes in the neuron which are interpreted in the cell body of the neuron, called the soma. The soma’s job is to take info gathered by the dendrites and put it in a place called the axon hillock, which is right in front of the axon. If the signal is strong enough, it gets sent down to the axon.

A signal that is travelling through the axon is called an action potential. The axon is covered with myelin, a material that prevents the signal from degrading. The signals stay intact in the axon because of myelin.

Finally, the action potential reaches the axon terminals, which causes the release of neurotransmitter. Dendrites of another neuron are connected to the axon terminals, which is how the dendrites receive the neurotransmitters.

This process repeats for many neurons until the signal reaches where it needs to.

Action Potential

I already defined what an action potential is in neuron anatomy, but it can be related to membrane potential.

An action potential is the momentary reversal of membrane potential. When neurotransmitter binds receptors on the dendrites, it causes the neuron to depolarize. Depolarization is when the membrane potential of a neuron gets closer to zero. Repeated depolarization causes the neuron to reach its threshold membrane potential, which is generally around -55 millivolts.

When a neuron reaches threshold, a large number of sodium channels open, releasing positively charged sodium ions into the cell. The influx of positive ions causes the membrane potential to become positive. When it reaches its peak, it is known as the action potential. Once the membrane potential peaks, the negative ions come back into the cell, causing the membrane potential to fall back to its original value.

Tracking Brain Activity

Ok, now that you have learned a bit about the brain (looking back at it, that is a lot more than just a bit, but I’ll go with it) and how it functions, I’ll explain how the computer tracks your brain activity.

Electroencephalography (EEG) and Electrocorticography (ECoG). You’re probably looking at those and FREAKING out. It’s fine, I did too when I first saw these words. I mean, WHO ON EARTH would think of these complicated words???😭 Let's be honest, they thought they would look smart if they used these big words. But don’t worry. The concepts those words describe are way easier to comprehend than the words themselves.

Electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocorticography (ECoG) are the two most commonly used techniques we currently have to measure brain activity. The data acquired from these measurement techniques is fed into a program, which then processes the data to perform a task.

EEG

EEG is used to measure the electric activity of your brain. Electrodes are placed on the scalp of a patient. These electrodes detect the electrical activity of neurons in the cerebral cortex. Instead of detecting the activity of single neurons, the electrodes detect the activity of large groups of neurons that are active at the same time. They primarily measure postsynaptic potentials which are changes on the receptors of dendrites that trigger action potentials.

EEG provides the electrical activity in the brain represented as waves of varying shape, amplitude, and frequency. This data can be used to measure brain activity during a spontaneous event.

This data is then input into a program that processes the data and performs a task. EEG cannot be used when not connected to a device since there will be nothing tracking brain activity.

Advantages

• Variety of clinical applications: diagnose epilepsy, characterize seizure activity, etc.
• Low cost
• Measures activity within milliseconds

Disadvantages

• Poor spatial precision
• Limited ability to accurately record form structures deeper than the cortex

ECoG

ECoG is very similar to EEG in that it requires electrodes to measure a patient’s brain activity. However, instead of placing electrodes on the patient’s scalp, the electrodes are placed inside the patient’s head, in direct contact with the cerebral cortex (surface of the brain). This is done during surgery since precision is important when placing electrodes inside your brain. A BCI using ECoG is known as invasive BCI since the electrodes go inside your brain. Invasive BCIs are not necessarily bad as they have more precise measurement than non-invasive variants, but they do pose a higher risk

Advantages

• Higher spatial and temporal resolution than EEG
• Allows for direct stimulation of the brain

Disadvantages

• Limited sample time
• Limited field of view
• Invasive technology, so a malfunction could cause neural damage

Both of these techniques are very similar to a fitness tracker. They just measure brain activity instead of steps, heart rate, and calories burned. Tracking your brain data is the first half of creating a BCI. The second half is the connection with the computer.

Connection with a Computer

So EEG and ECoG track your brain activity. But what does the computer do with that information?

For basic BCIs, it’s pretty easy to understand. First, you write a program on the computer. This program is telling the computer what to do with the brain activity data. It is usually written in python. The data is tracked through a brain-sensing apparatus such as the Muse headband. The Muse headband connects to a computer via Bluetooth, so that step is fairly easy.

Once the headband is connected, you can start tracking your activity through an application. As you are actively tracking your brain activity, if you run the program, it will perform the task you designed it to do.

The program is designed to give commands to the computer on how to interpret the brain data. “If it is this amplitude, do this.” You are essentially telling the computer to perform a task when you perform an action. These actions can be very simple, like blinking, simple jaw movements, raising your hand, etc. Based on your program, you can just think about the task that you want to do and it will work. As such, the tasks that simple BCIs can perform are also simple, like changing the computer volume, controlling a 2D game character (snake, for example), and typing. That being said, you can certainly make the computer perform a more challenging task if you write a program to do so.

Here are some students who have made a BCI:

BCIs may seem very complicated, but it’s really not hard to make one. You can try making one yourself! You just need a Muse headband and need to know how to code with python. 😃

Applications of BCIs

Now that you know how BCIs function, what are their applications?

BCIs have many applications right now and even more potential applications in the future. From clinical uses to video games, BCIs can be applied to a wide variety of fields and will soon become a large part of our daily lives. Here are some of the current uses:

• Being able to control prosthetic limbs
• Neural rehabilitation for serious injuries
• Detection and diagnosis of tumors
• Controlling game characters with your mind

And here are some potential future applications:

• Controlling objects with your mind
• Controlling characters in a VR game
• Communicating without speaking
• Downloading information
• Help disabled people interact with devices and objects

We are obviously nowhere near having these capabilities right now, but with the speed that research is progressing at, we could very well have these features within 50 years. To help you understand why it would take so long, let me give an example. Downloading information probably sounds insane and unrealistic to you. And right now, you would be right. However, scientists already have an idea of how they could possibly develop a system that does this.

They think we could possibly stimulate certain regions of the brain, using electrodes that are wirelessly connected to a device. This would give the brain new information. To do this, we would have to develop a deeper understanding of the human brain and we would need to develop a complicated algorithm that safely stimulates the brain to provide exactly the information that we want it to have. The company Neuralink is already researching this!

Yeah, you see my point. The future applications are only shown in sci-fi films, but they could become a reality! The possibilities for what we can do with BCIs are endless.

Industry Leaders

Neuralink is a company run by Tesla founder, Elon Musk, that aims to merge humans and machines to keep humans ahead of AI. They are the leading industry experts in BCIs and are ahead of other companies with their technology. Currently, they are the first company to design a neural implant that will let you control a computer or mobile device anywhere you go. This technology is called neural lace. This technology is as small as a neuron and multiple of them are inserted into your head through precise brain surgery. This is just a sneak peek of what’s ahead as Musk has stated that they are working on being able to merge humans and AI by having access to a computer in your brain. Through this, you can do INSANE things like downloading information and storing memories!

Neurable is a startup company run by Ramses Alcaide that is building a virtual reality headset that allows the user to have complete control over the game character. They are trying to make the headset interpret human intent and measure emotion. They are using machine learning to interpret EEG signals and convert them to human emotions and intent. I would love to try a VR game like this. Although they are working on this, their primary goal is to make neurotechnology universally accessible.

NeuroPace is a company that is developing a system that monitors ECoG data to send electric stimulus data when there is abnormal brain activity. The system has a battery pack that records and stimulates with electricity and it also has electrodes placed inside the brain. Their goal is to be able to diagnose and treat seizures before they happen. When a seizure is about to develop, pulses are delivered to prevent the seizure, but the person can’t feel the pulses, so it’s completely safe.

EMOTIV is a company aiming to track cognitive performance, monitor emotions, and control both virtual and physical objects via machine learning of trained mental commands. The applications for their technology span across many fields. They are already selling gear to detect stress, focus, and more. They use cloud-based technology to store their user information so it has a low risk of getting leaked.

Potential Risks of BCIs

Although BCIs are insanely cool and have a wide variety of applications that are very beneficial, it also has some risks, like any other technology. These are some of the risks that BCIs can possess:

• Invasive BCIs can have ill effects on the brain
• Viral attacks
• Requires precise neurosurgery
• Malfunction in a model of BCIs can cause many deaths
• Can be lethal when used with malicious intent

These are all very plausible risks that BCIs can possess and with the development of telekinesis and telepathy, there could be some currently unimaginable risks in the future.

TL;DR

• BCI is a system that connects your brain to a computer and allows it to interact with your brain
• Signals sent between dendrites of neurons are called action potentials
• Action potentials are a momentary reversal of membrane potential, which is the difference in electrical charge between the inside and the outside of a neuron
• EEG is used to measure electrical activity in your brain by placing electrodes on your skull
• ECoG is used to measure electrical activity in your brain by placing electrodes in direct contact with your cerebral cortex
• The brain activity data is interpreted by the computer to perform a task it is programmed to do
• BCIs have a variety of applications currently and have will sci-fi-like applications in the future
• Some of the leading companies in BCI research are Neuralink, Neurable, Neuropace, and EMOTIV
• BCIs possess several risks such as viral attacks and ill effects on your brain

There you have it! That was my overview of BCIs. Now that you know the basics of BCIs, think about how you could achieve telekinesis.

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