New research is being put forth from UC Berkley that offers new insights into how the brain processes language and holds the promise of unlocking new ways to understand how children learn and grow. In the long-term, the research could possibly lead to an implantable device within the brain that can decode thought and produce speech.
The science is not all that complicated: software has been developed that measures and deciphers brain waves when a person hears a word and then attempts to play it back.
The study was conducted on 15 patients within the U.S who were already undergoing neurosurgery to treat intractable epilepsy. A net of sensors was placed on the brain of the patients. Words were then repeated for ten minutes and the results were collected and analyzed.
This is exciting in terms of the basic science…” said Robert Knight, “Potentially, the technique could be used to develop an implantable prosthetic device to aid speaking, and for some patients that would be wonderful.”
The research highlights the ways in which what happens in the ‘lab’ has a wider impact on how we understand a child’s brain. The discoveries of neuroscience continue to shed light on early childhood development and the ways in which we can help a brain to grow and develop, or to support people with impairments.
To learn more about how neuroscience provides insights that parents or teachers can use, join us at the first annual Brain Power Conference in Toronto, May 3-4 2012.
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