In the UK, they created brain implants to improve the mood of people with ultrasound

A clinical trial of a brain implant will be conducted in the UK to help patients with epilepsy, depression, drug addiction and mental disorders that cannot be treated with medication. The new method is characterized by minimal surgical intervention and does not mechanically affect brain tissue. The therapeutic effect on the brain is carried out using ultrasound. The prospects for development are significant, but questions of the ethics of using such methods remain unresolved.

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The trial on 30 patients will be carried out under the auspices of the UK National Health Service (NHS). Funding for the program is provided by the British organization ARIA (analogous to the American DARPA). The project cost is £6.5 million ($8 million). The program will test an implant from the American non-profit organization Forest Neurotech (Forest 1). The tests will last 3.5 years, starting in March, but the first eight months will be spent obtaining all necessary permits.

The Forest 1 implant is installed under the skull without penetration into the brain tissue. Its sensors scan certain areas of the brain and determine the activity of target groups of neurons based on the intensity of blood flow. If the activity of neural clusters is insufficient, the implant stimulates the inhibited neurons with a focused ultrasound signal.

Forest 1 sensors provide brain scans 100 times more detailed than a standard MRI procedure. According to scientists, this is the most advanced non-invasive method to date on the human brain. The device allows you to simultaneously influence several areas of the brain, which is impossible when using other technologies. For example, Elon Musk’s Neuralink implant inserts thin metal probes directly into brain tissue. These probes can move as a person moves, while an ultrasound scanner can instantly assess brain activity and target areas.

However, before testing begins, researchers are concerned about possible excess heat that the focused ultrasound signal might generate. The question of the ethics of deep intervention in the functioning of the human brain also remains unresolved. Neuronal data could influence your ability to get health insurance or get a job. Moreover, there is concern that access to such data or implant control systems could be used for malicious purposes, such as manipulating people’s moods.

However, this is more of a problem for the distant future. At this stage, implants will be installed in patients with open head injuries to avoid the need to open the skull. Patients will wear a device on their head with an ultrasound probe in the exposed brain area for two hours. The collected data will be verified, and only after receiving positive results will large-scale clinical trials begin.