After the mouse is plugged into the USB and the pig is walking on the spot, Musk applied brain-computer interface technology to the monkey. In a series of tweets, the Iron Man Musk officially announced his new "black technology" device LINK V0.9: By implanting into a 9-year-old macaque Pager a brain-computer interface technology, he makes the monkey play games with cognitive power without game sticks. The news is an instant hit all over the Internet! When Iron Man was experimenting on a little monkey, the editor shares a secret with you that the "Dr. Wonder" team of Neural Galaxy has already used brain-computer interactive technology to successfully carry out clinical trials on human brain diseases.

Compared with Musk’s “pig-walking” on the site last year, the implantation of a brain-computer interface in the brain of a primate, which is closer to the human brain, can be regarded as another technological advancement of Musk’s Neuralink. The "Iron Man" also expects that the future iteration of Neuralink products will be able to realize communication between the neural links of different parts of the patient's body, making it possible for paraplegic patients to walk again.

I believe Musk’s news has excited many people's neurons! But the most significant differences between humans and other primates are found in the brain, which is the main organ that gives our species specific properties. An analytical study published in Science by Andre MM Sousa et al. shows that, compared to the molecules and cells in the brain tissue of chimpanzees and macaques, the human brain is not only a larger version of the primate brain, but also carries obvious and amazing differences. According to Andre MM Sousa, our brains are three times those of monkeys and have more cells, so are more capable of processing things than chimpanzees or monkeys. However, since different species have different functions of individual cells, there are obvious differences in the formation of cell-to-cell connections. ” Therefore, the complexity of the human brain structure and function network is far greater than that of non-human primates. We still need a new revolutionary technological breakthrough to extend the brain-computer interface technology used in monkeys to humans!

Brain science and brain-computer interface are the key areas of science and technology in the future development. In addition to the Neuralink company, Professor Liu Hesheng, the chief scientist of the Neural Galaxy, is also devoted to the research on the complex structure and function of the human brain. After nearly 10 years of research on individual brain atlases, Mr. Liu uses advanced computing methods such as deep learning to divide the individual brain’s functional network into more than 200 areas, laying a solid foundation for the research! It has opened a new era of using the "Precision Brain Function Atlas" in studying the human brain.  

Due to the need to implant sensors in the monkey brain, some scientists regard this invasive brain-computer interface used by Musk and Neuralink represents a "radical" approach. Musk revealed that Neuralink is in conversation with the US FDA and expects to start preliminary trials on humans by the end of the year. Although the surgical robot is very cool and properly hard-core high-tech, the brain-computer interface with an invasive craniotomy sensor implant requires the consideration of possible risks of infection and rejection, as well as the feasibility of "long-term traumatic connection method".

”While the public is expecting how the "Iron Man" will apply his brain-computer interaction study to human clinical trials, Professor Liu Hesheng, the chief scientist of Neural Galaxy, is leading his "Doctor Wonders" team to promote the clinical trials of human brain therapy. In this regard, CEO and co-founder of Neural Galaxy, said, “We are developing a non-invasive brain-computer interaction treatment. An important reason is that it is safer and more feasible. Our program is undergoing clinical trials in many well-known top hospitals and has obtained significant clinical results in treating severe brain diseases, such as aphasia, hemiplegia, and depression! We will update you when more results come in."

The system uses non-invasive technology to collect data of patient’s brain functions, generates accurate individuals’ brain function maps through an innovative and accurate algorithm developed exclusively to analyse brain function abnormalities, and uses a non-invasive brain-computer interaction system to reconstruct brain functions.

[Decode neural information; Generate the individual precision brain function atlas; Produce the individual treatment plan for targeted areas; Conduct personalized precision treatment for brain disorder] Neural Galaxy’s non-invasive brain-computer interaction technology realizes personalized precision examination, diagnosis, planning and treatment.

Another exciting news is that in addition to the positive research results of Musk’s Neuralink in monkeys, Neural Galaxy has won more partners in China to study brain diseases by utilizing brain-computer interaction. The joint effort makes technological innovation truly beneficial to mankind!

Mueller, S., Wang, D., Fox, M. D., Yeo, B. T., Sepulcre, J., Sabuncu, M. R., ... & Liu, H. (2013). Individual variability in functional connectivity architecture of the human brain. Neuron, 77(3), 586-595. Sousa, A. M., Zhu, Y., Raghanti, M. A., Kitchen, R. R., Onorati, M., Tebbenkamp, A. T., ... & Sestan, N. (2017). Molecular and cellular reorganization of neural circuits in the human lineage. Science, 358 (6366), 1027-1032.