Was a coward born? Scientists have found a way to zap the BRAIN to increase their courage and remove fear
- Scientists have developed a way to monitor brain activity in real time
- They say it has been used to remove fear and increase a person’s confidence
- It is believed to have the potential to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), phobias and anxiety
Scientists have developed a method that changes a person’s brain function to increase confidence and eradicate fears.
It is believed that the technique may have the potential to treat psychological conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), phobias and anxiety.
Called ‘decoded neurofeedback’, the technology is still in its infancy and, although Japanese researchers have found that it works, it is not effective for everyone.
Therefore, the team published their findings in the hope that other experts can help improve the procedure.
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Scientists have developed a method that changes the functioning of a person’s brain and can be used to increase confidence and eradicate fears. In the photo, an anonymous person’s brain scan
A combination of artificial intelligence and magnetic resonance imaging was used by experts at the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) in Seika, Japan.
They found that an fMRI scanner can provide brain activity in real time, which can be compared to previous recordings.
For example, the brain of a person with arachnophobia will respond in a particular way when faced with the image of a tarantula and this is recorded by a computer.
But the natural variation in brain activity means that a response that looks the same will also occur at random times.
Called ‘decoded neurofeedback’, the technology is still in its infancy and, although Japanese researchers have found that it works, it is not effective for everyone. The team therefore published their findings in the hope that other experts can help improve the procedure.
Where this aligns with the response invoked by fear, the researchers gave the participants a monetary reward.
Ultimately, this positive reinforcement reshapes the brain so that when a person is activated by a spider again, he does not respond in the same way.
“The simple action of repeatedly providing a reward every time the pattern is detected changes the original memory or mental state,” explains Dr. Mitsuo Kawato of ATR.
‘It is important to note that participants do not need to be aware of the content of the standards for this to work.’
The data were obtained from more than 60 people who participated in five separate studies and all data were grouped in a database.
“The decoded Neurofeedback approach can have great benefits for clinical populations over traditional treatments,” said lead author, Dr. Aurelio Cortese.
“Patients can avoid the stress associated with exposure therapies or the side effects resulting from established medications.
“As such, it is crucial that we accelerate the development of the decoded Neurofeedback technique – and this will only be possible if more scientists are able to work on the actual data.”
The complete results are available at Scientific Data.