Epilepsy Brain Implant Does Not Change Individuals’ Personalities

Brain implants for epilepsy do not change an individual’s personality or self-perceptions, the results of a study published in AJOB Neuroscience show.

“Next-generation brain stimulation devices can modulate brain activity without human intervention, which raises new ethical and policy questions. But while there is a great deal of speculation about the potential consequences of these innovative treatments, very little is currently known about patients' experiences of any device approved for clinical use,” lead author Tobias Haeusermann of the University of California, San Francisco, said in a statement.

“This issue is becoming even more pressing, as several similar treatments are currently under development for several common neurological and psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety chronic pain, Alzheimer disease and ischemic stroke, offering the promise of effective new treatments for these debilitating illnesses,” he said.

Closed-loop brain simulation system was found to be a more precise and personalized treatment than open-loop systems used to treat Parkinson disease and other conditions. The stimulation system monitors and decodes brain activity to automatically adjust treatment through electrical pulses.

The results highlighted how it is important for the device to monitor and evaluate potential effects of brain stimulation when it comes to an individual’s previous neurological conditions and medications.

The study authors noted that individuals said that the device had a “profound impact on their personality and self-perception.”

Reference

Epilepsy brain implant does not transform patients’ sense of self or personality but offers them new insight into illness, study shows. ScienceDaily. News release. September 3, 2021. Accessed September 3, 2021. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210902191613.htm