Brain to Brain InterfacesAlvin Vuong

Brain to Brain Communication• How is it possible?

▫Two-way interface Brain to Computer Interface Computer to Brain Interface

• Read from brain▫EEG (Electroencephalography)

• Write to brain▫TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)

• Basically telepathy.

Part 1: Reading from the Brain•EEG•a.k.a: Electroencephalography

▫“the recording of electrical activity along the scalp”

EEG•Electrodes to record voltage fluctuations.

•Placed above different areas of head (brain).

•Raw voltage data needs to be interpreted.

•Example…▫Neuroheadsets:

BCI’s•Brain to Computer Interfaces

•Using EEG system to process the neural activity in certain regions of the brain.

•Different lobes (areas of the brain) correspond to different functions: seeing, hearing, thinking, etc.

Brain mapping•For example:

▫AF/F: Frontal lobe Decision making Judgment

▫T: Temporal lobe Auditory Cortex

▫P: Parietal lobe Spatial representation

▫O: Occipital lobe Visual cortex

My own project (@CalHacks)• Using a consumer neuroheadset (Emotiv EPOC),

grab data from brain.

• Specifically, P7/P8: Parietal lobe

• If activity in that region hits a certain variance threshold, send a motor command to a rover (Arduino).

• If the user imagines the rover going forward, it will move forward.

Other ways to read from brain•Implanted electrodes (surgical)

▫Electrocorticography (ECoG)

•Magnets▫Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

(fMRI)▫Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Part 2: Writing to the Brain•TMS•a.k.a: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

▫use of a magnet to stimulate neurons in the brain

TMS•Electromagnetic induction from a coil of wire.

•Produce a magnetic field that induces the polarization of neurons

•Current in the brain is produced.

•Different types of coils = various magnetic fields▫Round coil = original type▫H-coil = deep transcranial stimulation

Merton and Morton Experiment•1980•Use of transcranial stimulation

▫(not magnetic yet)▫Direct shocks to the scalp. Ouch.

•Were able to stimulate motor cortex of the brain

•Send a signal to stimulate muscle contractions in the hand.

•Modern techniques use electromagnets.

Other ways to write to brain•Implanted electrodes (surgical)

▫Again, the easiest way to interact with the brain is with direct contact.

•Focused Ultrasound (FUS)▫Only has been done on animals.▫Usually only used to destroy damaged

tissue in humans.

Part 3: Brain-to-Brain•Combine EEG and TMS.

•Read from one person’s brain.

•Write to the other.

•Simple isn’t it?

Rao et al.• Experiment to create a functional brain-to-brain

interface.

• Cooperative game to shoot down rockets using a cannon.

• One person “decides to shoot” and the other must physically press touchpad to shoot.

• Only communication between the two is the Brain-to-Brain interface.

Rao RPN, Stocco A, Bryan M, Sarma D, et al. (2014) A Direct Brain-to-Brain Interface in Humans. PLoS ONE 9(11): e111332. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0111332http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0111332

Limitations•Limited to certain types of information:

▫Visual▫Auditory▫Motor

•More complex/abstract thoughts will need to be understood first before being able to communicate them.▫How to communicate feelings? Love, hate,

etc.?

Applications/Implications• Actual real telepathy

▫ Everyone can become Charles Xavier.

• Sharing dreams?▫ Visual, auditory, and motor information. Very possible.

• One-to-many Brain-to-Brain Interface▫ A single sender broadcasts a signal to multiple receivers.

• Many-to-one Brain-to-Brain Interface▫ Multiple senders submitting signals to one receiver.