3 ms·
I don't know about you but I consider sticking a needle deep through the brain to be a surgery. I guess the authors are using a more technical definition. No do
by superkuh 6y ago
I don't know about you but I consider sticking a needle deep through the brain to be a surgery. I guess the authors are using a more technical definition. No doubt this will help speed up research in labs.
For actual no surgery stimulation of deep brain tissues there's arrays of low powered ultrasound and interferometric transcranial alternating current. And if 4.5 mm deep is the goal-line even the current practice transcranial magnetic stimulation with a butterfly coil can do the job (more awkwardly).
- richdougherty 6y ago"To avoid this, the Stanford team used a type of PHP virus developed at CalTech that can be injected in the blood. The virus then crosses the blood-brain barrier to deliver its payload, an opsin gene, to brain cells. In this case, even the delivery of the gene is noninvasive—no needle penetrates the brain."
- superkuh 6y agoOh. So I missed the entire point of the paper. Yikes. Thanks for the correction. But how is the transfection localized to the VTA if it's administered peripherally and not within the target tissue?
- OpticalWindows 6y agoAlarm bells should be ringing about this. If they can breach the blood brain barrier with viruses, imagine what they can do with contaminated food, gas, and drink.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- superkuh 6y agoI've spent more time actually reading the papers and extended data. This statement written above is factually untrue. This procedure does involve needles in the brain. It is invasive. It is surgery. The press writers you quote misunderstood.