| Funded by a special grant offered by the Vanderbilt | | | | regimen for those suffering from many of today's |
| Kennedy Center for Research on Human | | | | emotional problems. It has been a long journey to begin |
| Development, Dr. Robert Boyle and Dr. Issac Potter | | | | the daunting task of understanding the influences |
| began doing clinical research to understand the | | | | governing brain development, however, we our making |
| underlying causes of behavioral and emotional | | | | great strides." |
| disorders in children, adolescents as well as adults. This | | | | The pair of researchers having completed their work |
| research included the use of neurobics on depressed | | | | with behavioral and emotional disorders continued to |
| and attention deficit disordered patients. "Brain cells | | | | collaborate and are currently developing a new direct |
| learn by literally making new connections with one | | | | neural interface which will be used to connect the |
| another. For a long time, it was assumed that these | | | | human brain to a computer. "The neural interface will |
| connections could only be established during youth. But | | | | communicate through an artificial neural network by |
| new scientific evidence shows the opposite: Even | | | | infrared data transmission". Dr Boyle also explains that |
| quite late in life, the brain has quite a lot of residual | | | | this new research, although considered by some |
| capacity to reorganize and "rewire" itself" Dr. Boyle | | | | controversial, "can quickly be used for treating illness |
| Explains. "This is because most of area of our brain is | | | | and disability experienced by everyday people". He |
| devoted to processing sensory inputs, we felt that this | | | | continues, "Like any new technology, neurotechnology |
| was a unique way to tackle these emotional | | | | represents both promises and problems. On the upside, |
| problems". Neurobics are based upon the latest | | | | neurotechnology represents new cures for mental |
| scientific research from leading neurobiology labs | | | | illness, new opportunities for economic growth and a |
| around the world. These mental exercises were | | | | potential flowering of artistic expression. These |
| developed to use the full range of senses which can | | | | benefits are countered by the potential use of |
| often be marginalized by modern conveniences. This | | | | neurotechnology for coercive purposes such as mind |
| stimulus helps to forge new connections among the | | | | control, or its use as neuroweapons that can |
| different sensory structures of the brain thus | | | | selectively erase or implant memories. Of course there |
| increasing ones abilities to concentrate and focus. Dr. | | | | are very stringent guidelines that we must follow and |
| Potter contends that "this breakthrough will | | | | our research is primarily focused on the more |
| undoubtedly one day take form of a new treatment | | | | beneficial aspects. |