Fiber to the Brain

by Willie D. Jones IEEE Spectrum, October 2005 Today, surgical procedures for implanting electronic devices that stimulate the heart muscle to correct abnormal cardiac rhythms are considered routine. But addressing the brain in this way -- and reaching areas deep within the cerebral mass without destroying neurons en route -- is another matter. While surgeons have successfully installed electrodes in the brain that have restored a semblance of sight or hearing, stopped the tremors of Parkinson’s disease, and cataloged the brain’s responses to environmental stimuli, they’ve always had to break in through the skull. That procedure damages healthy brain tissue, exposes patients to infection, and leaves wires sticking out of their heads. And over time, scar tissue forms around the electrodes, encapsulating them and isolating them from the active brain tissue. Now a promising new procedure has been proposed. Read more