Stanford scientists have administered electric jolts to mice in response to a pattern of brain activity in the nucleus accumbens that occurs just before "impulsive behavior" (in this study, overeating). This reportedly disrupts the impulse and the impulsive behavior, but not normal behavior. The lead author of the study says the research could lead to a brain implant that could "predict and prevent a suicide attempt, a heroin injection, a burst of binge eating or alcohol intake, or a sudden bout of uncontrolled rage":
Just imagine if you could predict and prevent a burst of binge eating or alcohol intake, a heroin injection, a sudden bout of uncontrolled rage or a suicide attempt. The world would be a better place.
Long journeys start with first steps. In a study [open, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1712214114] [DX] published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Stanford researchers led by neurosurgeon Casey Halpern, MD, have identified, both in mice and in a human subject, a signature pattern of electrical activity in a small but important deep-brain region called the nucleus accumbens just a second or two before a burst of impulsive behavior.
The nucleus accumbens is the hub of the brain's reward circuitry, which evolution has engineered to reinforce survival-promoting actions by inducing pleasure in anticipation or performance of those actions. The researchers showed in mice that supplying a small electrical jolt to the nucleus accumbens as soon as the electrical signature manifested there stopped the mice from overindulging in fatty food — without messing up the rest of their natural activities.
"Impulses are normal and absolutely necessary for survival," Halpern said when I interviewed him for our news release on the new study. "They convert our feelings about what's rewarding into concrete action to obtain food, sex, sleep and defenses against rivals or predators."
Which dystopian novel do you want to compare it to?
Also at NPR.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday December 19 2017, @08:02PM (2 children)
Because such rules aren't argued in good faith. You may be sincere, but there are way too many who aren't. After all, it's not that hard to argue that people who have lots of guns are crazy people and hence, shouldn't be allowed to obtain firearms.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday December 19 2017, @08:14PM (1 child)
Yep. As I pointed out. That is exactly the problem. How do you define crazy.
I strongly suspect that there are sane people who own firearms. They don't go drinking and shooting. They don't brag about their weapons. Etc.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 19 2017, @10:12PM
I''ll let this [azlyrics.com] here and slowly back away.