Brain scans can identify people's likes, dislikes and emotional responses

MATTHEW Nagle had been unable to move or breathe on his own after his spinal cord was severed in a knife attack.

That changed in 2005, when the Massachusettsian became the first person to be fitted with an experimental chip that tapped directly into his brain, allowing him to pick up objects, change channel on the television and even play computer games, all through the power of thought alone.

Since those early experiments, neuroscience has escaped the laboratory, seeping into areas we might never have thought possible; changing how we spend our money, the way we vote, even the manner in which we punish criminals. For the first time machines that turn thoughts into actions are a reality.

"It is the science of the brain that holds the secret to the fundamental changes of the future," says Dr Burkhard Schafer, of the SCRIPT Centre for Research in Intellectual property and Technology at the University of Edinburgh. "But we are just at the very beginning stages of understanding what opportunities neuroscience might present."

The sophisticated brain imaging techniques used by neuroscientists - still most commonly used in medical diagnosis and treatment - are now so advanced they can be used to determine people's likes, dislikes, anxieties and fears.

When viewed through a scanner, different areas of the brain "light-up" when they function. These can be interpreted to read an individual's thoughts, making them an invaluable tool for companies keen to cash in on the commercial potential.

Car manufacturers Ford and Daimler have used brain imaging in their research in order to make cars more appealing to consumers, while US researchers are looking into "the neural processes involved in choosing between Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola".

But some experts are warning there could be a more sinister side to the rapidly developing technology. The US military is thought to be interested in developing "killer robots" with the brains of humans and the invincibility of machines.

Brain scans are also now believed to have the potential to pinpoint psychopaths before they kill, reveal racial prejudice or a belief in God, and distinguish "true" memories from "false", presenting the opportunity to determine whether a suspect is lying, or has planned a crime they have yet to commit.

Dr Schafer has concerns, however, that the premature use of the technology might bring it into disrepute. "Many of the advances could be really important for the future," he says.

"For example, diagnostic or treatment of mental illness and catering for an ageing population, as well as many other areas. But premature use of the results in the wrong areas could also cause a damaging backlash against a technology that has the potential for great medical, and commercial, benefits. We need an open and frank discussion to decide where we go next."

A conference organised by the Scottish Imaging Network Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) in Edinburgh last summer raised fears about accuracy and ethical issues linked to new imaging techniques, prompting Scottish politicians to call for a debate over fears that privacy and civil liberties could be put in jeopardy if the technology is not properly regulated.

More recently a paper produced by the Scottish Universities Insight Institute in Glasgow concluded that there is "little scientific validity for current use of imaging in law, commerce or security", adding that a watchdog to monitor and comment on emerging uses for imaging "would be valuable for society".

The Scottish Parliament's think tank, Scotland's Futures Forum has also put the issue under the spotlight, with Labour's Helen Eadie tabling a motion calling for a debate on the subject. "There have been such significant advances in science that neuroimaging can reveal explicit thought patterns of any individual," says Eadie. "Having heard some of the academic discussions on this matter I believe that society needs to decide who is entitled to see our brain images - if anyone. That in itself is part of the debate.

"Should it be used in court, in commerce, or by governments? What are the ethical arguments? Regulation will be essential as this very important science takes its place on the world stage." n

Five predictions on how brain science may change the way we live:

Neurolongevity

We will see cures or vaccines for diseases of the ageing brain and an overall longer life expectancy.

Neuroentertainment

Gamers might wear caps that read brainwaves and pick up emotions. Storylines would move forward in real time, changing with a person's responses.

Neuroeducation

Educational software will be tailored to students' individual brain patterns to improve mathematic and language acquisition as well as creative thinking.

Neurofitness

Drugs and devices that stimulate the brain to enable us to run farther and faster, for example, could help everyone from Olympians to paraplegics.

Neurospirituality

Real-time mind-reading software promises to accelerate our capacity to access deeply meditative and spiritual states.

• This article was first published in the Scotland on Sunday on March 27, 2011