Science Lab Reads Direct Visual Output from Brain...

[MikeTheC]

Read this at another site, but here is a link to an article about how scientists at Japan's ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories have been able to capture and successfully decode output from the visual cortex of several test subjects' brains. At the top of the article linked below are thumbnails of the original images and the retrieved output.

PinkTentacle.com: Scientists Extract Images Directly From Brain (http://www.pinktentacle.com/2008/12/scientists-extract-images-directly-from-brain/)


Discuss...

[frankleeee]

Read this at another site, but here is a link to an article about how scientists at Japan's ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories have been able to capture and successfully decode output from the visual cortex of several test subjects' brains. At the top of the article linked below are thumbnails of the original images and the retrieved output.

PinkTentacle.com: Scientists Extract Images Directly From Brain (http://www.pinktentacle.com/2008/12/scientists-extract-images-directly-from-brain/)


Discuss...

They didn't actually decode but correlated previous scans with scans while viewing the same objects, interesting though.

[billgoldberg]

I can't say I really like where this technology could lead to.

[yabbadabbadont]

I can't say I really like where this technology could lead to.

It will probably lead to the real world development of brain bleach... ;)

[frankleeee]

The use of FMRI scans are used for all kinds of things in the
neuro-cognitive area, such as ADHD studies and other anomaly related investigation. If you read this section you will realize that what is new in this study is having a computer correlate the blood flow.

"The scientists were able to reconstruct various images viewed by a person by analyzing changes in their cerebral blood flow. Using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine, the researchers first mapped the blood flow changes that occurred in the cerebral visual cortex as subjects viewed various images held in front of their eyes. Subjects were shown 400 random 10 x 10 pixel black-and-white images for a period of 12 seconds each. While the fMRI machine monitored the changes in brain activity, a computer crunched the data and learned to associate the various changes in brain activity with the different image designs".

If you know the cost and size of a FMRI machine you will realize that the pocket model is not available, and probably never will be.

[yabbadabbadont]

... and probably never will be.

Never is a very long time... :D

When I was a kid, every grocery store in America had a vacuum tube testing machine (with replacements). Now you can get a television on a wrist watch. Who can say when the next breakthrough in miniaturization will take place? ;)

[pp.]

If you know the cost and size of a FMRI machine you will realize that the pocket model is not available, and probably never will be.

Eniac. IBM /370. Cray. Colossus. EEE PC. Palm.
f(t)

[frankleeee]

Never is a very long time... :D

When I was a kid, every grocery store in America had a vacuum tube testing machine (with replacements). Now you can get a television on a wrist watch. Who can say when the next breakthrough in miniaturization will take place? ;)

Look up FMRI and you will see what I mean. ;) The magnets alone are a huge hurdle.

[frankleeee]

Eniac. IBM /370. Cray. Colossus. EEE PC. Palm.
f(t)

The analogies are interesting but not applicable.

[yabbadabbadont]

Look up FMRI and you will see what I mean. ;) The magnets alone are a huge hurdle.

To quote myself, "Never is a very long time..."

[frankleeee]

To quote myself, "Never is a very long time..."

Well you contact me when the pocket version is available, and the person can be scanned without being motionless. You also understand the definition of probably to as well I assume.

[magmon]

I dont like it... Thoughts should be private.

[pp.]

Thoughts should be private.

These are not thoughts. The article is about measuring what a person is seeing. This appears to be a major breakthrough in that they can map brain activity to a 2D representation of the visual input. I sense a new direction prosthetics aids for the blind could possibly take.

Disclaimer: I used the terms "breakthrough" and "new direction" in the sense that I personally have never heard of that development before. It might be old hat for people who actually know anything about the topic.

[frankleeee]

There have been implants designed to be surgically installed in the brain to stimulate the areas associated to sight. This has actually been done on a trial level here is a link that somewhat gives a simple description.
http://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2007/04/24/deep-brain-stimulation-could-restore-vision-to-the-blind/
I have seen some programs on public television US on this, it is still in the development stages due to the complexity of the device and implanting in the right spot.I just found a link about the original study the op links us to. It has a short youtube video that shows the image and the computers readout.