Have you ever wondered if you could download a skill into your brain without the need for studying, just like in "The Matrix"? That futuristic idea may soon become a reality.
Researchers at the University of Rochester have pioneered a new approach to "sculpting" brain activity patterns without physical manipulation or surgery, potentially revolutionizing how quickly humans can learn a skill or idea.
The research, in collaboration with Yale and Princeton University, was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
In general, learning happens when the neurons (brain cells) interact frequently with each other through practice, forming and strengthening connections between each other (neuroplasticity). As these connections form, the brain is able to transmit messages more easily and accurately. The more you practice, the stronger these connections become.
However, this new approach can bypass the traditional process of acquiring knowledge through study or practice. It only employs real-time neuroimaging and neural feedback to induce learning and modify how the brain processes visual information.
In the study, participants inside a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner viewed wobbling abstract shapes projected onto a mirror. They were instructed to "generate a mental state" that would stop the movement of the objects, without specific guidance on how to achieve this.
Success was measured by aligning their brain activity with predetermined patterns set by the researchers, ultimately making the wobbling stop.
"Instead of teaching you something and measuring how your brain changes, we wrote a new category into your brain that would have appeared had you learned it yourself," explained Coraline Iordan, lead author and assistant professor of brain and cognitive sciences and of neuroscience at the University of Rochester.
"Then we tested whether you saw the new category that we had inserted. Turns out you did."
Researchers believe the new findings can eventually help in treating neurological conditions, like psychiatric and developmental disorders, by modifying the patients' brain patterns.
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