SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
from the collar-controls-capillary-conduit-constriction dept.
High blood pressure can be a very serious condition, and is usually controlled via medication along with lifestyle changes. For approximately 35 percent of patients, however, that medication doesn't work in the long run. That's why a team of researchers from Germany's University of Freiburg are developing an implantable electronic cuff, that may one day control peoples' blood pressure via electrical pulses within the neck. In tests on rats, the cuff has been implanted in the vagus nerve. In both rats and humans, the vagus nerve extends from the brain stem into the thorax and abdomen, running through the neck along the way. It relays signals that control unconscious body procedures such as heart rate, digestion and breathing. Using a technique known as BaroLoopTM, the cuff is able to determine which of its 24 electrodes is closest to the nerve fibers responsible for transmitting the blood pressure signal from the brain to the heart. It then activates that electrode, to selectively stimulate only those fibers. As a result, it is able to "overwrite" the brain's faulty signal, lowering the blood pressure to a safe level.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Angry Jesus on Friday May 16 2014, @10:43PM
> Overriding the brain's control of the heart
> Geez, what could possibly go wrong?
Like a pacemaker?
(Score: 3, Informative) by jackb_guppy on Friday May 16 2014, @10:51PM
More like the electronic pain blocking devices.
Pacemakers (it least my father's one), the electrodes extended into the heart and directly shocked the mussel to contract.
Pain blocking acts on the nerves, general used of back and neck pain. Had a freind with decinigrating disks in the neck use one for years. https://www.google.com/#q=electronic+pain+blocking +devices [google.com]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bob_super on Friday May 16 2014, @11:00PM
As far as i know, pacemaker electrodes are a secondary and independent control mechanism.
They "supplement" the brain's signals when needed, they don't hack the control channel.
Indeed, the end result is that the heart is not responding to the brain during that time, but the odds of damaging the normal control loop are much smaller than if you start interfering with the primary nerve's impulses.
.
More practically, if you're going to put a life support device on me, the belly sounds like a much safer place for it to reside than the neck.
(Score: 2) by Angry Jesus on Friday May 16 2014, @11:11PM
At most it's a difference of degree not kind and attempting to fine tune the "control channels" versus simply ignoring them suggests more opportunity for catastrophic and immediate failure.