Monkey brains, as well as those of rats, have been wired together in what could be described as an organic computer network. Interfaces between human brains and machines have been achieved before, but this research is far different and could lead to a new generation of computing.

Brainets may seem like a step toward the creation of a race of cyborgs, like the Borg from Star Trek. However, scientists say there is a practical purpose to their research.

Organic computers could be created by connecting together several animal brains, researchers stated. In this study, investigators created interfaces capable of connecting one brain to another, a significant step over previous interfaces between brains and machines. Some of these were formed from complex arrays of microscopic wires implanted into the brains of rats.

In each pair of rodents, one of the animals was taught to complete a task related to touch or movement. Researchers recorded patterns in brain signals that were transferred to the other rat, assisting them in learning the task more quickly than normal.

Investigators also networked together groups of two or three rhesus monkeys while the animals sat in separate rooms, sharing neural waves. A brainet consisting of a pair of brains is known as a B2, while a trio of organs in a neural network is labeled as a B3.

Monkeys were given control of the arm of a virtual monkey displayed on a video screen. In B2 brainets, one animal controlled one direction of travel (for instance, up and down), while the other controlled movement along the second axis (e.g. left and right). In B3 brainets, the third dimension was added to the possible movement. When chimps successfully guided the virtual monkey arm to a target, they were rewarded with fruit juice. Over time, the primates learned to coordinate their actions, increasing their success rate.

"This is the first demonstration of a shared brain-machine interface, a paradigm that has been translated successfully over the past decades from studies in animals all the way to clinical applications," Miguel Nicolelis of Duke University Medical Center said.

Biological brains are superior to electronic computers in several ways, especially coalescing abstract information into a concrete model.

Brainets constructed from rats were able to predict rain with an accuracy of 41 percent, better than single rodents, or what would be expected by chance.

This research could be used to develop devices capable of restoring a normal life to patients with some severe brain-based disorders.

"One day this could also help stroke patients, epilepsy patients and patients with other neurological disorders. Also, this could be done non-invasively, instead of having to use implants like we did in our experiments with monkeys and rats," Nicolelis said.

Development of brainets in rats and monkeys were detailed in a pair of articles, published in Scientific Reports.

Photo: Michelle Zell-Wiesmann | Flickr