ZAP // Kozorovitskiy, Y., Rogers, A., Wu, M. et al / Northwestern University; kovalvs / Depositphotos
The thin, flexible, wireless device (next to a 25-cent coin) emits complex patterns of light (represented as an “N”) to transmit information directly to the brain.
The rats learned to interpret light signals, a kind of neural Morse code, as meaningful information. “It is a vocabulary with gigantic potential”, with immediate medical applications, say the study authors.
Connecting electronics to the human brain sounds like science fiction. But researchers at Northwestern University made it a reality: they created a wireless device that sends information directly to the brainusing light patterns. No cables. No surgeries that cut brain tissue. Just light passing through the skull.
The new device is thin and flexible, placed on the skull, under the skin, and emits specific sequences of light through the bone, activating specially modified neurons in the cortical tissue beneath.
Scientists call the procedure transcranial optogenetics. It is much less invasive than traditional brain implants and could pave the way for better neuroprosthetics. The big question is: are you creating a authentic artificial perception Or will it just be a Ingenious way to train mice?
In their tests, the mice learned to interpret these light signals as meaningful information. The normal senses—sight, hearing, and touch— remained completely intact.
But the animals realized that certain patterns of light meant something. They learned a kind of neural Morse code — . When they received the correct pattern, chose the right door in their chamber and received a reward.
Most impressive was the how quickly they learned. These mice adapted to a new, completely artificial stimulus remarkably quickly, highlight the authors of the study at Northwestern University.
O , published last week in the magazine Nature Neuroscienceis based on previous work by neurobiologist Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy and bioelectronics expert John A. Rogers.
The device previously used by the two researchers had only one micro-LED and could control limited behaviorss. This new version even includes 64 micro-LEDs in a single matrix. Each LED is thinner than a human hair — a huge leap in communication capabilities, says .
The importance of 64 little lights
Natural sensory experiences don’t just activate one point in the brain: they illuminate networks distributed throughout the cortex. The 64-LED design used in the study imitates these natural patterns.
The team of researchers managed to send “complex sequences to the brain that resemble the distributed activity that occurs during natural sensations.
According to the first author of the study, Mingzheng Wudifferent combinations of LEDs create practically infinite patterns. “It’s a vocabulary with gigantic potential”, highlights the researcher.
Medical applications are immediate. Imagine someone with a prosthetic limb. This device could send sensory feedback directly to the braincreating an artificial sensation of touch or pressure.
The device could help restore vision or hearingand even control chronic pain without the use of drugs. Stroke rehabilitation and robotic limb control could also benefit.
For Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy, the study addresses fundamental questions about perception. “Our brain is constantly transforming electrical activity into experiences, and this technology allows us to directly access this process“, comes out to researcher.
Real insight or just good training?
Now, the difficult questions: These mice are actually experiencing “artificial perception” or they limited themselves to learning that a pattern of light equals a reward?
The researchers trained the rats to associate a pattern of stimulation in four regions with a treat. It’s classical conditioning. The animals chose the right door and received the reward. “Received the message,” says Wu.
This distinction is importantand. Can patterned light truly replace the feeling of touching something or seeing a shadow? Or does the brain just interpret this as an abstract symbol What does “there is reward here” mean? It’s a crucial difference.
What will happen when patterns become more complex? The team admits that it still has to test how many distinct patterns the brain can actually learn. Future versions, with more LEDs and tighter spacing, may come closer to the natural feel. But we’re not there yet.
Still, whether true perception or just advanced conditioning, the device creates an unprecedented type of communication. It’s about the size of a postage stamp, and works as a neural interpreter.
One day, This interpreter will be able to “speak” fluentlynot just in simple codes, but in the complex language of real human experience. For now, he is teaching mice to understand light patterns. It’s a solid first step.
