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Researchers Switch Neurons Off and On Using Noninvasive Ultrasound
Jason Koebler writes: Optogenetics, the ability to control neurons using bursts of light, has been one of the most promising breakthroughs in neurology of this decade. It's been a boon for researchers, but its invasive nature (the brain must usually be exposed) has held the technology back. Sreekanth Chalasani of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies described a new, noninvasive method of controlling neurons using ultrasound pulses in Nature Communications. For the first time ever, he was able to manipulate a genetically modified organism using a new technique called sonogenetics.
Posting to undo mod.....
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I just turn them on and off the old-fashioned way, with caffeine and alcohol.
That is all.
Again, the summary was highly misleading. Optogenetics only works with GENETICALLY MODIFIED neurons, so won't easily work as a therapeutic technique. That's OK, because what it is used for is basic neuroscience research.
The idea is if you want to look at specific neural pathways you can optogenetically modify them to light up when you are shining a laser on them AND they are performing a task you are interested in. You can think of an optogenetically modified neuron as a neuron that you can probe at high speeds.
This is exciting because you can see, for example, functional connectivity at full speed in real, operating brains. This could enable the creation of a functional connectome which is kind of a traffic map of the brain (neurological connection studies give you the road map, optogenetics can give you the traffic). Previous techniques (such as neurotransmitter tagging) are far too slow to make such a "traffic map".
Prior to this "sonogenetics" research, only really flat specimens could be used since lasers cannot penetrate deeply. This is nice development.
Turning a neuron "off" doesn't make much sense unless you are destroying it.
Neurons work in two ways, they are either "excitatory" in which case they tend to create further firing, or "inhibitory" in which case they tend to suppress further firing. I'll assume you meant "making it more inhibitory" when you said turning it off.
We are a long way from such things, but you could imagine the utility of "turning off" or making neurons more inhibitory in the case of Parkinson's Disease where there is too much superflous random firing that leads to tremor.
Another case where we might want to calm the neurons are in people that experience PTSD or severe depression.
Yet another case is Epilepsy. You can kind of think of Epilepsy as a "neural storm" (this is a ROUGH analogy). So, one option to control it is if you can sense a seizure starting up you can shut down it's ability to propagate through the brain.
These are just some of the possible uses of "switching a neuron off".
Why would you want to switch neuron off? On a medical standpoint I mean.
There is no medical reason, but there are research reasons. Turning neurons on and off helps us understand how brains work, and what causes brain disorders, like epilepsy and dementia. Even single neurons can have an effect. For instance, there is the Jennifer Aniston cell.
Well, I just bought a seconds-hand ultrasound machine for my runner's knee.
I'll have to try if it can make me more intelligent as well.
Now I have to go get flowers for Algernon.