Brain Mapping Paves the Future

We’ve mapped the human genome, tread on every last bit of earth, landed on the moon and plunged the oceans. There are few untravelled frontiers left, aside from space and the human brain. It is a touch ironic that that which makes us who we are, which has been with us from the very beginning, is one of the biggest mysteries to humanity. But, imagine getting a clear image of what happens in your brain, watching your brain light up when stimulated and to see all those connectomes bouncing around when you think about what you’re going to have for lunch today. The human brain proves to be one of the most complex organic matters scientist have attempted to unravel. Having the ability to sneak a peek into the human brain would show that our mind is destined to be upgraded.

According to a famous myth, only an approximate 10% of the human brain is used in the life-time of an average human being. But the truth is, we use almost our entire brain on what we would assume as menial matters. For example, just reading this article involves engaging your frontal and occipital lobes to see and comprehend and your hippocampus to remember, all while your brainstem and cerebellum help you remain seated, breathing, circulating blood, and digesting your food. And of course your pituitary gland and hypothalamus are regulating hormones, temperature, and much more.

How do we know all this happens in the part of the human brain that only takes up 2% of our body weight? Through scientific breakthrough of course. MRI scans and EEG results reveal more about the human brain than we ever thought possible. At this day and age, one can see cancer in the brain without having to drill a hole into the side of the skull. Even newer advances have allowed scientists to detect Alzheimer’s at a relatively early age to prescribe prevention pills.

With these advancements, it would not be crazy to think that we could actually go further than this. What if, we could pinpoint each crevice of the brain in the most accurate form to learn of its function to the human body? For example, which part of our brain allows us to think creatively or logically? What would we then do after we find out of these parts? Could we then optimise that part of the brain to exhibit the full potential of humans?

These many questions are answered by a state of the art concept called brain mapping. Think of brain mapping as having an outside look at what happens on the inside of your head. Think Google maps. Each road and route is displayed at a virtual satellite imagery for users to gauge traffic, obtain personalised details of places to visit and generally learn better about a venue without having to actually be there. Brain mapping offers the same prerogative. Most importantly, it helps to flag out parts of the brain if it were to act up. In other words, brain mapping would help identify many neurological diseases at an early stage.

Scientists such as Charles Wilson, a neurobiologist at the University of Texas at San Antonio strongly supports the advancement of finding out what happens in the brain. “We could prevent so many diseases. We could create an entire generation free from advanced levels of autism”. Even former US president Barrack Obama allocated an impressive 100 million dollars during his term to study the brain. Realistically though, that amount of money would only be sufficient to get things started.

The brain is a delicate organ. It has billions of neurons and even more connectomes to even think of studying. Therefore scientists can’t afford to rush the process of brain mapping in fear of abusing such a resourceful organ. The brain's wiring diagram may help us better understand how we learn and adapt, says Jeff Lichtman, Harvard biologist. "We start out being less well adapted to our environment than any other animal. By the time we're adults, we can use tools that our genetic heritage couldn't possibly have taught our nervous system to use like iPods. No other animal can do that. During our development, we must wire ourselves to use these machines."

Brain mapping is also of practical use to doctors. Neurosurgeons use brain mapping to plan safer surgeries. One treatment for epilepsy, for example, removes the affected part of the brain. Using functional MRI and EEG, surgeons can locate the seizure centre in a patient's brain, as well as areas that are active during speaking and moving, down to the millimetre. These images tell doctors what to leave and what to cut out.

Brain imaging is not only used in treatment. It is used to diagnose neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Using tagging techniques like PET, doctors look for drops in certain brain chemicals, or they may use MRI to examine shrinkage in areas showing tissue loss. Over time, doctors can map what the brain looks like as diseases progress or as treatments work. This in turn will inhibit almost all neurodegenerative disorders known to man. If this isn’t a pitching point, I don’t know what is.

That said, there are some genuine concerns regarding brain mapping because once you can understand and predict the brain, the sky is the limit for change. Military arms and correctional facilities in the US have exhibited a rather questionable approach regarding brain mapping where the government seemingly used uninformed and thereby dubiously-consenting prisoners to get a look at the human brain. Although the US government denies all allegations, this allows a larger question to be raised. Where do we stop? While one can find ways to stop brain disorders altogether, there is a risk of using the brain for the worst.

US Military forms have announced their open intent of using brain mapping in development with artificial intelligence. Several police officers of the US have offered themselves as living beings of study dedicated to improving the country’s AI. One would have to think then, with all the suspicion of the government watching our every move through our smartphones and computers, having access to the human brain in the future would mean ungated, limitless information. Not to mention breaching of privacy as well as an increased anxiety of the core beings of the human race. Greed unfortunately, breaks down many doors in its pursuit.

Unravelling the human brain would be a big feat for us. Having all the answers about the human brain would be invaluable information. As always with questions regarding progress, the ethics of man will always be up and front. As a race of humans, we unfortunately do not have the cleanest rap sheet. Therefore, are we willing to limit ourselves with just questions about the brain, or will we put trust in the human race and risk answers?