Key points from article :
A non-invasive functional ultrasound system that can detect brain activity by listening to tiny changes in blood flow.
Viable alternative to invasive electrodes implanted into the brain for brain machine interfaces.
"New method to record detailed brain activity without damaging brain tissue," - Sumner Norman, study researcher.
Involves implanting a small ultrasound-transparent window, which is significantly less invasive.
Ultrasound signals can then non-invasively pass into the brain and identify increases in blood flow in specific brain regions.
So far, the technology has been tested in non-human primates.
“...manages to record signals with 10 times more sensitivity and better resolution than functional MRI," - David Maresca, co-researcher of the study.
Research by Caltech published in the Journal Cell.
