Brain Bee Chapter 17: Solving Human Problems

What is a Brain Machine Interface?

• When someone has severe brain or nerve damage, it becomes hard for them to communicate or do daily tasks. 

• BMI reads the activity of millions of neurons and predicts what a person wants to do. This can allow people to control robotic arms

How does a Brain Machine Interface make limbs move again?

Electrodes that are implanted in the brain connect to sleeves or gloves over injured limbs, then small electric pulses can make limbs move again

What is Deep Brain Stimulation? and What does it do?

• DBS electrodes are surgically placed in specific areas of the brain, it doesn’t cure the disease, but it reduces or relieves symptoms for several conditions

How does a Deep Brain Stimulation get put in?

During surgery, the patient is awake. A hole is drilled in the skull and electrodes are implanted in a specific area. Then when the electrodes are turned on, it sends electrical currents that change the activity of targeted brain cells

What is a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation?

• Patients get a magnetic stimulator on their head

• Painless pulses are delivered

What is Transcranial direct current stimulation?

Direct current is used to adjust brain activity

What is one major challenge in creating new drugs?

The blood brain barrier. A protective layer of cells that prevents most molecules from entering the brain

What are solutions for drugs not being able to get past the Blood Brain Barrier?

Extremely small molecules, nanoparticles that carry drugs through, enzymes, and engineered antibodies designed to target the brain

What can help detect diseases earlier?

Structural and functional changes in the brain caused by neurological diseases can help detect diseases earlier (even before symptoms)

What is the benefit of finding cellular markers?

Can help person’s risk of developing a disorder before symptoms appear, help diagnose conditions

Stem cells can turn into how many cell types? Name them.

3 main cell types, Neurons, Astrocytes, and Oligodendrocytes

What is the problem with Stem Cells?

Stem cells are difficult to control and transplant into the brain, where they develop, and there is a risk or immunal rejection

What is a way to deliver therapeutic genes through the blood brain barrier?

By utilizing small viruses that can carry healthy genes

The most common and safe viral carriers are Adeno-associated virus (AAV), and Lentivirus

How does CRISPR accurately change a cell’s genome?

CRISPR uses RNA-guided enzymes to precisely cut and add DNA segments