Tesla CEO: Neuralink brain chip can help lose weight-EEWORLD

Collect

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently said that the Neuralink brain chip developed by his company could help treat morbid obesity. Experts say the billionaire's dream is not as far-fetched as it seems.

"I think this is more incredible than many other claims about the potential of neurotechnology," Professor Andrew Jackson, an expert in neural interfaces at Newcastle University, told Insider.

Musk made the suggestion during an April 14 TED interview, adding "morbid obesity" to a growing list of conditions he believes Neuralink could help treat.

Experts Insider spoke to said commercially available brain chips that eliminate obesity are still a long way off, but the concept holds promise if backed by the right science.

Brain implants for weight loss?

Neuralink, founded by Musk in 2016, is developing a microchip that is implanted in a person's skull. Tiny wires equipped with electrodes fan out from the device into the brain, allowing it to read and potentially stimulate brain activity.

Musk has previously named a number of neurological conditions he believes Neuralink could treat, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. He has also made far-fetched claims about the chip potentially “solving autism” and creating “symbiosis” between humans and AI.

Aside from Musk’s comments in a recent TED interview, there is no further information on how Neuralink might help address obesity.

Still, Sadaf Farooqi, professor of metabolism and medicine at the University of Cambridge, said that broadly speaking, the concept is feasible.

"We and others have shown that in some people with severe obesity, it's the function of a specific brain region, the hypothalamus, that really drives increased appetite often," she said.

The hypothalamus is a gland located in the center of the brain that plays a vital role in controlling hormone production.

If you could find a way to target specific areas or even specific neurons that drive appetite, then in theory a drug or technology could improve patients’ lives,” Farooqi said.

Brain implants are also arguably less invasive than other treatments for morbid obesity, Newcastle University's Jackson said. Some of those treatments involve changing the shape and function of a patient's digestive system.

Early testing yields mixed results

Some researchers are so confident in brain implant technology that they have begun conducting early proof-of-concept trials in humans — with mixed results.

One trial involving six morbidly obese patients — defined in the study as having a body mass index above 40 — involved a brain implant that delivered frequent electrical pulses to the hypothalamus. According to Elemental, one participant lost more than 100 pounds, three lost a little, but not a lot, and two lost no weight at all.

In another similar trial, only one of three participants lost weight, according to Elemental. Another small trial is ongoing.

“I would say these trials are very much leading edge,” Farooqi said. “So they may not be providing as much information.”

“But the fact that they’ve made progress, and I think that there’s a little bit of benefit for some people, is encouraging.”

Treating symptoms or causes

Francesco Rubino, head of metabolic surgery at King's College London, said brain implants were promising, but chips focused solely on reducing appetite would likely "fail".

“So far, nothing we’ve tried based on this assumption has worked,” he said.

New research suggests it's not just the way people eat that causes them to be overweight. It could also be that the body isn't properly regulating weight by burning available fat, Rubino said. "It's like a tank full of fuel, but there's some kind of dysfunction so it can't use the fuel efficiently."

Rubino said if you can find the trigger for the disease and target it with an implant, you can treat the problem at the source.

Brain chips that can effectively fight obesity may still be a long way off. For one thing, Neuralink has yet to receive approval for human testing, and Musk said in his TED interview that the company will focus on brain and spinal cord injuries “probably in a decade” once it can start implanting chips in the brain.

Newcastle’s Jackson said that, as with many of Neuralink’s claims, “there’s going to be a lot of science required in addition to the technological development to use this as a treatment.

Reference address：Tesla CEO: Neuralink brain chip can help lose weight

Previous article：Mouser Electronics Now Stocking ams OSRAM AS5172E High-Resolution Automotive Magnetic Position Sensor
Next article：New experimental hardware at Stanford incorporates mechanics into quantum technology

Popular Resources
Popular amplifiers