Scientists Teach the Brain To Read Light as a New Sense

[erronis]

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-teach-the-brain-to-read-light-as-a-new-sense/
Northwestern University

The thin, flexible, wireless device sits next to a quarter for scale. Device emits complex patterns of light (shown here as an “N”) to transmit information directly to the brain. Credit: Mingzheng Wu, Northwestern University

Scientists have created a soft wireless implant that uses tiny flashes of light to send information straight into the brain, allowing animals to learn brand-new artificial signals. By lighting up specific patterns across the cortex, the system teaches the brain to interpret these flashes as meaningful cues that guide decisions and behavior.

Researchers at Northwestern University have introduced a major advance in neurobiology and bioelectronics by creating a wireless device that uses light to transmit information straight into the brain. The approach moves around the body’s traditional sensory pathways and instead interacts with neurons directly.

The system is soft and flexible and fits beneath the scalp while resting on the skull. From this position, it can project carefully programmed light patterns through the bone to stimulate neurons across large areas of the cortex.

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