The Future of Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system, also known as neurobiology. It deals with the structure and function of the nervous system and brain.
It is estimated that 1 in 4 American adults are suffering from a mental disorder every year, and of these, 6% acquire serious disabilities as a result. These mental disorders, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, epilepsy, autism, and many more, are classified as neurodegenerative disesases, which are diseases that show progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, including death of the neurons themselves. More than 4 million people in the world are estimated to have Parkinson's disease and a greater 5 million have been estimated to have Alzheimer's. Dementia is a major effect of many neurodegenerative illnesses.
There is no "direct" cure for neurodegenerative diseases at the moment because our knowledge of the brain and how it works is so limited. The brain is a massive complex of around 80 billion neurons that relay messages back and forth throughout the body at speeds up to 268 miles per hour (120 meters per hour). What also makes the brain a very complicated organ is the fact that not every signal follows a straight path. Signals can be sent to very distal parts of the brain along the way. With advances in neuroscience, the future promises to dicover a more efficient way to map the brain in order to pinpoint specific problems in the messages sent.
Efforts in neuroscience have already succeeded in categorizing areas of the brain that correlate to specific functions of the body. Analyzing defective parts of the brains of patients has led to the discovery of how those areas affect cognitive capabilities. Scientists used to believe a certain area pertained to one movement, but have now found that a repetitive motion sends repeating signals that are spread all over the brain. This works for movements such as a simple rhythmic tapping of the fingers. Each neuron has been found to be connected to multiple senses at the same time as well.
What is neuroscience?
The future of neuroscience has involved programs such as the B.R.A.I.N. Initiative and studies from scientists around the world. The CEO of the University City Science Center in Philadelphia has even proposed of finding a more affordable way to diagnose neurodegenerative diseases. Neuroscience is not tethered to just research towards a cure for neurodegenerative diseases. It may also, in a broader sense, apply to psychology by alleviating mental problems such as trauma or promoting a child's development by monitoring their brain activity.
Memory, thinking, and behavior are all affected by dementia, which leads to disabilities as a person ages. The B. R. A. I. N. Initiative - or Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative is a research effort started by President Barrack Obama on April 2, 2013. Programs like these are just one of the various efforts in providing the opportunities to raise money to one day cure neurodegeneration.