Annex B – Technology review
Boosting willpower and self-control will make long-term goals dominate over short-term
ones and ‘motivation on tap’ could make education, training and work more effective
(although with the attendant risks of abuse).^76 Controlling boredom is likely to be closely
tied to controlling attention, and could have big impacts on vigilance, performance and
mental flexibility.Neurostimulation and brain interfaces
Neurostimulation uses electronic devices to
stimulate nerve cells in the brain and includes
invasive and non-invasive brain stimulation
methods. Transcranial magnetic stimulation
uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells
in selected areas of the brain, and transcranial
electric stimulation applies small electrical currents
to the brain using electrodes. Stimulation has
been able to improve the results of motor training
and numerical observation. Transcranial electric
stimulation has improved the performance of image analysts in identifying targets.^77 Using
transcranial stimulation to synchronise rhythmic brain circuits has been shown to improve
working memory in older adults.^78 Transcranial pulsed electromagnetic fields has been
effective in treating severe depression.^79 Another type of electrical stimulation could be
used to alleviate virtual reality sickness symptoms.^80Potential and issues. Electric stimulation of the brain has been used to relieve pain, treat
damaged vision, improve data processing, and enhance learning of languages.^81 These
types of brain stimulation methods are, however, only likely to have modest effects.
Although they have been used to improve cognitive functions, their main use is likely to be
in the treatment of mental/neurological conditions. Side effects range from discomfort to
seizures and memory loss while the long-term effects are still unknown. This technology
is relatively lightly regulated and there is a significant community interested in DIY
neurostimulation.Brain interfaces
Brain interfaces include brain-computer interfaces and brain-brain interfaces, and they
are based on the interpretation of brain signals that are measured from the surface of the
scull, or in future, directly from brains. The electroencephalography-cap is an example of
an external neural interface while implants such as electrodes for deep brain stimulation
represent internal neural interfaces. Brain interfaces enable communication between brain
76 Magen, E., et al., (2014), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ‘Behavioral and neural
correlates of increased self-control in the absence of increased willpower’.
77 Mckinley, R. A., et al., (2013), Behavioral Neuroscience, ‘Acceleration of Image Analyst Training with
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation’.
78 Reinhart, R. M. G. and Nguyen, J. A., (2019), Nature Neuroscience, ‘Synchronizing rhythmic brain
circuits’.
79 Martiny, K., et al., (2010), Biological Psychiatry, ‘Transcranial low voltage pulsed electromagnetic fields in
patients with treatment-resistant depression’.
80 Further detail can be found at https://www.vmocion.com.
81 Flöel, A., et al., (2008), Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, ‘Noninvasive brain stimulation improves
language learning’.