When you consider how complex and miraculous our brains are, it is hard to grasp some of the gains that have been made in brain research, including devices that can actually be implanted in our brains!
Currently the military is doing research on what it might take to restore memory to soldiers that have had damage to their brain. The idea is to insert the implant in their heads to record events as they happen, and to be able to use the recording to restore those memories if something should happen later to remove the memories. It does sounds sort of Matrix-like!
But currently there are companies that create brain implants that can do other things, like deep-brain stimulation for patients with Parkinson’s Disease. These amazing devices can have incredible results, as you can see in this video:
What a difference! This man was found to have Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 35, He underwent Deep Brain Stimulation surgery, two of them actually, a few years later to help him control his symptoms. You can hear what it has done for his quality of life if you watch the above video.
There are currently studies being done on the effects that deep brain stimulation can have on other conditions as well such as depression.
If you are curious about deep brain stimulation and what can be done with it, you may also want to watch this Ted Talk by neurosurgeon Andres Lozano. He also shows results with a Parkinson’s patient, as well as a small boy with Dystonia – a neurological movement disorder that results in twisting and posture changes. The results are amazing!
Seeing the results that have been obtained with DBS, it seems like it is very possible to develop this technology to store and replay memories one day. You can find out more about this effort on Extreme Tech:
US military begins work on brain implants that can restore lost memories, experiences