Looking inside the brain in real time. Possible?
15Dec2008 Filed under: Applied Psychology, Health and Clinical, Methodology & Stats., Physiological Psychology, Research Author: Jamie Davies
Could it soon really be possible to look inside the brain in ‘real time’. Over the last three decades we have made leaps-and-bounds in developing non-invasive processes to scan brains; PET, MRI, fMRI etc. These scanning techniques have allowed psychologists an insight into the processes of the brain during specific tasks or just to investigate the size, location and use of particular brain structures, but the time needed to process the vast amount of information that is collected has meant that there’s no ‘real time’ option of seeing exactly what is happening, there-and then.
However, neuroscientist and inventor Christopher deCharms demonstrates a new way to use fMRI to show brain activity – thoughts, emotions, pain – while it is happening. In other words, you can actually see how you feel.
Is it possible that in the future we may be able to ‘control’ how we feel; the pain that we perceive. It seems that it through a similar process used by biofeedback techniques today could be employed using these new brain scanning techniques.
In my mind this is an incredible advancement in this technology. Not only can we see into the brain but we don’t have to wait for computers to process the data – we can see it real time. If we can get feedback on our mental process then we can perhaps learn to control our brain on a whole new level. For example, perhaps it is possible to learn to suppress pain altogether on command?
What are your thoughts?
Tags: brain scanning, pain, pain measurement, Physiological, Research
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- Tags: brain scanning, pain, pain measurement, Physiological, Research
6 Responses to “Looking inside the brain in real time. Possible?”
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lesley
December 15th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
good timing for my teaching! thanks
K. Eliot
December 16th, 2008 at 7:07 am
Excellent post, it reminds me of the work they’re doing in Japan — scientists over there have found a way, using fMRIs, to literally print images of what people are visualizing inside their heads.
In the future, we’ll not only be able to see what people are feeling, but what they’re thinking. Here’s a link about that technology:
http://www.pinktentacle.com/2008/12/scientists-extract-images-directly-from-brain/
Very exciting stuff coming down the pipe. It’s hard to predict what the consequences are going to be. I can’t wait for this technology to find its way out of the labs and onto the streets…
Phil
December 16th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I have a bucket ;)
charlotte
December 16th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
great blog it’s good to see someone using a blog for what it is actually meant for look forward to seeing further comments.
Jamie Davies
December 24th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Thanks for the link to the article K Eliot. You’re right – there’s plenty of fascinating stuff coming in the next 5-10 years (if not sooner!)
Rani
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
I believe that we can have more and more advance technology to know further whatever happens in our bodies, esp. brain but no technology will compete human body itself. Because comparing with computer, brain has no cables or blood and does not need electricity or battery. But still it would be wonderful to see what’s going on in our brains in real time, in case we will know how to control pain or such thing.