The Neuro Revolution: How Brain Science is Changing Our World Zack Lynch with Byron Laursen. St. Martin’s, $25.95 (256p) ISBN 9780312378622

Neuroscience entrepreneur Lynch, founder of a global trade association and a market research firm, is a futurologist with his feet on the ground. After an eight-year struggle to diagnose a painful back injury, Lynch's condition was pinpointed by a full-body MRI scan; the experience convinced him that emerging tools will improve our “control over the mental environment” in the same way we've managed the physical environment. Examining emerging tech, Lynch reports on lie detectors like a portable system for rapidly scanning and detecting involuntary facial tics, and a developing method called “brain fingerprinting.” Emerging marketing techniques include functional MRI scanners for focus groups, allowing researchers to look directly at the brain of the subject, rather than depend on verbal responses. Lynch predicts that brain scan information will improve performance, and may become vital to professionals like stock brokers and specialized military forces; he also sees mental face-lifts attaining the popularity of cosmetic surgery. The exciting news is tampered by warnings that such devices could also be used for “cultural or economic bondage.” Lynch is passionate, knowledgeable and fully engaged with the world of neurotechnology, and his overview makes absorbing material. (July)

Here is the 45 minute follow up debate. Poor title, we should have discussed neurodevices in depth but there only so much time and bandwidth.

Enjoy this 15 minute interview!

Adaptation of pacemaker technology has led to major advances in neurodevice development, allowing for stimulation of discrete brain areas and nerves for the treatment of Parkinson’s, essential tremor, epilepsy, and even obsessive–compulsive disorder. Novel device platforms for neuromodulation will allow for less invasive and more responsive therapies in the future.

Optogenetics, for example, is an emerging field combining optics and genetics to probe neural circuits on the millisecond time scale. In early development, delivery of genes tied to cell-specific promoters has been used to make certain neurons light sensitive. Then highly targeted light-emitting hardware such as fiberoptics is used to activate or deactivate that specific cell type. One startup in this area is developing an optogenetic neuromodulation system that may one day enable the blind to see. Leveraging this technology will yield entirely new levels of control over specific cell types in the brain, making it possible to treat illnesses that emerge as a result of malfunctioning neuronal circuits. Another exciting example of the future of neurodevice development relates to the development of conducting polymer nanowires, which will make it possible to monitor and modulate individual brain cells. The wires can be threaded through the circulatory system into the brain, without the need for invasive brain surgery. They do not block normal blood flow or interfere with the exchange of gases and nutrients through the blood vessel walls.

Looking forward, it will be possible to connect an entire array of nanowires to a catheter tube that could then be guided through the circulatory system into the brain. Once there, the wires would branch out into tinier blood vessels until they reached specific locations. Each nanowire would then be used to record the electrical activity of a single nerve cell or small groups of them. Nanowire sensors could greatly improve doctors’ ability to pinpoint damage from injury and stroke, localize the epileptogenic zone(s) of seizures, and detect the presence of tumors and other brain abnormalities. Beyond that, nanowires that could deliver electrical impulses have the potential to transform the entire field of neuromodulation, dramatically expanding the potential scope of treatable conditions. (more in the Neurotech Industry 2009 Report)

If you are in Canada tomorrow evening, watch me on The Agenda at 8pm with Steve Paikin where I'll be talking about my forthcoming book, The Neuro Revolution and neuroenhancement.

Update: Taping still happening today, but Iran is taking center stage tonight, so will be aired at later date. Will update then.

While I spent Monday on a special working group at the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke reimagining the Small Business Innovation Research Program in Rockville, Maryland, Tuesday was full of 10 separate meetings up on Capitol Hill lobbying for the National Neurotechnology Initiative. In the morning I met with the staff of Senators Burr, Greg, Bingaman, and Merkley in their offices while the afternoon was spent talking with Representatives Dingell, Markey, DeGette, Burgess, Sarbanes, and Space. Progress.

Dozens of private companies are currently developing or commercializing neurodrug delivery methods and devices that will bring life to old and new compounds alike. These technologies include:
Implantable devices: Implantable pumps bypass the blood– brain barrier (BBB) and deliver highly accurate amounts of drugs to specific sites in the brain or spinal cord.
Expression systems: A French company is circumventing the BBB using encapsulated cell technology (ECT), a polymer implant containing cells that provide continuous, long-term release of the therapeutic protein to the brain or eye.
Receptor-mediated transport: Receptors that transport nutrients
to the brain from the blood can be tricked into transporting therapeutic chemicals, peptides, and proteins across the BBB. Insulin, transferrin, and lipoproteins, for example, cross the BBB by facilitated transport, and can be combined with therapeutic proteins or other molecules to promote access to the brain [10].
Cell-penetrating peptides: During the past decade, several arginine-rich peptides have been described, such as SynB vectors, which allow for intracellular delivery and BBB transport. The mechanism for this transport is unknown. A Swiss company is using cell-penetrating peptides to develop treatments for stroke and myocardial infarction.
Focused ultrasound: Some research shows that focused ultrasound can temporarily open the BBB in a targeted area for a window of time. A seed stage company is working to commercialize this technology and improve it for use in humans.
Nanoparticle formulations: Nanoparticle formulations refer to
therapeutics encapsulated in nanoscale particles that can pass the BBB. Although there is great interest in using nanotechnology to improve neuropharmaceutical delivery to the brain, it will take some time to overcome challenges of this platform, including the need for intravenous delivery, manufacturing, and clearance by the liver.

Brain and nervous system illnesses are exceptionally difficult to research and diagnose, partly because changes in the local environment of the brain are difficult to assess within the confines of the skull. Although diagnostic tests for diseases like cancer and diabetes are common and can use samples from blood, urine, or tissue, diagnostic tests for many brain-related illnesses are only beginning to emerge.

Neuroimaging is revolutionizing the diagnosis and treatment of brain-related illness. It is difficult to imagine treating patients with brain tumors, cerebrovascular disorders, or epilepsy without current imaging tools. Several decades of neuroimaging research have contributed enormously to our understanding of structural and functional differences in people with neurological and psychiatric disorders. For example, PET scans have been shown to be 93% accurate in detecting Alzheimer’s disease about 3 years before the conventional diagnosis of ‘‘probable Alzheimer’s”. Imaging now offers
insights into the mechanisms of action of drugs used to treat schizophrenia and the causal mechanisms that may be at the root of many disorders. Diagnosis of mental illness and differential treatment selection is one of the most difficult aspects of psychiatric treatment, yet this is where neuroimaging will add tremendous value in the years ahead.

On the neurofeedback front, Omneuron, a private company, in conjunction with Stanford University, is using real-time functional MRI (rtfMRI) to train patients in pain management techniques by monitoring the ongoing activity of their brains. Within a 13-minute session, patients can learn to control activity in different parts of their brain and alter their sensitivity to painful stimuli, allowing them to better control pain. Patients watched their brain’s level of activity as seen by rtfMRI and were trained to decrease pain intensity through mental exercises, such as focusing on a part of the body where they did not have pain. In years to come, rtfMRI has the potential to add an entirely new treatment option for a whole host of brain-related illnesses including depression, addiction, and dementia.

We have released our fifth annual comprehensive investment guide and market analysis of the global neurological disease and psychiatric illness markets. The 480-page report enables investors, companies and governments to identify opportunities, calculate risks and understand the dynamics of this continually changing market.

Specific findings from The Neurotechnology Industry 2009 Report show that in 2008:

- 2 billion individuals worldwide suffered from a brain-related illness
- Over 550 public and private companies participated in neurotech worldwide
- Venture capital investment in neurotechnology fell 22% to $1.44 billion
- More than 250 venture investors were involved in neurotech financings
- Global neurotech industry revenues rose 9.0% to $144.5 billion
- Neuropharmaceuticals recorded revenues of $121.6 billion and 9.3% annual growth
- Neurodevices recorded revenues of $6.1 billion and 18.6% annual growth
- Neurodiagnostics recorded revenues of $16.8 billion and 3.7% annual growth
- The annual economic burden of brain-related illnesses is over $2 trillion

The Neurotechnology Industry 2009 Report: Drugs, Devices and Diagnostics for the Brain and Nervous System comprehensively tracks pipelines and products in development globally to help guide strategic business development and investment decisions in neurotech.

The 2009 report provides an in-depth look at more than 16 brain and nervous system disorders and treatments in development at over 550 public and private companies, including: Alzheimer's disease, addiction, ADHD, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, migraine, mild cognitive impairment, multiple sclerosis, obesity, pain, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, age-related macular degeneration, sensory disorders, sleep disorders, stroke and traumatic brain injury. Corporate financing, market activity, growth drivers and global industry conditions that make up the obstacles and opportunities facing the industry are fully assessed with detailed insights.

The brain has extremely limited capabilities to repair itself, but new strategies are emerging to improve the brain’s ability to regenerate lost neurons and to facilitate the incorporation of implanted stem cells into brain circuitry. There are currently at least eight private and three public companies developing neuroregeneration cell transplant therapies. More than $450 million in venture funding has been invested in companies working on cell replacement and stem cell therapies for brain and spinal cord disorders.

There are significant challenges to overcome when considering the use of implanted cells for neurological diseases. For example, inducing a cell to differentiate into a skin cell or a liver cell is likely to be easier than inducing it to form precise connections with another area of the brain. The chemical signals for forming the appropriate connections in the brain may be present only during certain times of development. Additionally, the character and connections of these new cells must be stable. Despite these complexities, stem cell therapies offer the potential for outright cures to some
neurological diseases.

Recently, we have seen progress in bringing these treatments into human trials. A California company has been in clinical testing of fetal stem cells to treat Batten’s disease since 2005 and expects to complete their Phase I study in early 2009. In December 2008, they received FDA approval to begin trials in a second disorder, Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease (PMD), a fatal brain disorder that affects mainly young children. In February 2009, the first embryonic stem cell trial for spinal cord injury treatment was also approved. These are slow and precautious steps, centering on untreatable disorders, but cell-based therapeutic candidates for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke will soon follow.

The journal Epilepsy & Behavior just published an article I wrote for a new section they've introduced on technological approaches to the scientific explorations of epilepsy and behavior. In The Future of Neurotechnology Innovation I review advances across several areas of neurotech research including stem cells treatments, new imaging technologies, drug delivery technologies and novel neuromodulation platforms and posit that these will be the primary avenues by which researchers will acclerate the development of treatments and cures for brain-related illnesses over the next decade. Over the coming week I'll be sharing key pieces of the article here, starting with the introduction.

Neurological diseases and psychiatric illnesses account for more hospitalizations, long-term care, and chronic suffering than nearly all other health conditions combined. Beyond the untold human suffering, the annual economic burden of brain-related illnesses has reached more than $1 trillion in the United States. Critical unmet medical needs remain in almost every area of brain and nervous system disorders, including: Alzheimer’s disease, addiction, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, obesity, pain, Parkinson’s disease, sensory disorders, spinal cord injury, stroke, schizophrenia, sleep disorders, and traumatic brain injury.

An increasing awareness of this growing economic problem and the corresponding market opportunity of nearly 2 billion people worldwide are stimulating both public and private funding in neurotechnology including new drugs, medical devices, and diagnostics for brain and peripheral nervous system disorders. Recent advances in neuroscience have dramatically expanded our understanding of the basic biological and behavioral components of brain-related illnesses. In particular, an increasing number of neurotransmitters, neurotransmitter receptors, ion channels, and other proteins critical for normal brain functioning have been identified and characterized genetically engineered animal models have improved target validation and neuroimaging techniques have made it easier to study what occurs in the injured and healthy brain. Although great strides have been made over the past decade, technological advances across several areas of research and development hold promise for the development of even more efficacious treatments and, for the first time, cures for brain and peripheral nervous system disorders. These areas include stem cell treatments, new imaging technologies, drug delivery technologies, and novel neuromodulation platforms.

Our annual conference is next week and we have a fantastic line up of over 70 speakers. This is why a record number of participants are now registered for the 4th annual Neurotech Conference in San Francisco next week. What do you have to gain?

- Find out about new product licensing and partnering opportunities
- Discover emerging technologies and companies
- Learn what venture and strategic investors are looking for
- Hear about cutting edge translational research and funding opportunities
- Meet and network with decision makers from across commercial neuroscience

Register Now - View Agenda with 70 Presenting Neurotech Executives

Join confirmed attendees who are now using the participant directory to network and set up one-on-one meetings: Aberdare Ventures, Accera, Accelemed, Adlyfe, Advanced Brain Monitoring, Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Alfred Mann Foundation, Alpha Omega, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, Alzheimer's Research Forum and SWAN, ARCH Venture Partners, Arcion Therapeutics, Athena Technology Ventures, Autonomic Technologies, Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Avineuro Pharmaceuticals, Azevan Pharmaceuticals, Banyan Biomarkers, Bay City Capital, Bayhill Therapeutics, BCC Partners, Betterhumans, BioBehavioral Diagnostics, BioBusiness TV, BioCentury, Biotechnology Value Fund, BiotechPartnering Solutions, Boston Scientific Neuromodulation, Brain Resource, Brain Trust Accelerator Fund, BrainCells Inc., BrainScope Company, Brown Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, CCC Medical Devices, Center for BioEntrepreneurship UCSF, Ceregene, CHDI , Cloudera, Cognitive Drug Research, CollabRx, CoMentis, Conde Nast Portfolio Magazine, Corcept Therapeutics, CorTechs Labs Inc, Cortex Pharmaceuticals, Creative Commons, CureNeuro, Cyberonics, Cypress Bioscience, Cytox Group, D. E. Shaw Ventures, De Novo Ventures, Desitin Arzneimittel GMBH, DLA Piper, Electrical Geodesics, Eli Lilly and Company, Elminda , Elsevier Business Intelligence, Embera NeuroTherapeutics, Eos Neuroscience, Epilepsy Foundation, Epilepsy Therapy Project, EpiNano, Ernst Gallo Research Center, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Fast Forward, FasterCures, Feinstein Kean Healthcare, Flywheel Ventures, Genentech, Genesys Capital, Genzyme Corporation, George Greenstein Institute, Gladstone Institutes, Great Lakes BioSciences, HLM Venture Partners, Hoffmann-La Roche, Huntington's Disease Society of America, IDSC, LLC, Impax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Magazine, iNetworks Advisors, Innovative NeuroTechnologies, Intellect Neurosciences, International Neuromodulation Society, Int'l Mental Health Research Organization, J. David Gladstone Institutes, Jan Medical, K&L Gates, Kansas Univ. Med. Center, Kappametrics Inc., Kinetics Foundation, Larta, Liverpool University, Lockheed Martin Aculight, Lou Ruvo Brain Institute, MDA Venture Philanthropy, MedAvante, MedStrategy, Medtronic, Medtronic Neuromodulation, Merck & Co, Merck Research Laboratories, Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Methylation Sciences, Michael J. Fox Foundation, MicroTransponder, MIT Media Lab, Myelin Repair Foundation, Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, National Institutes of Health, Neostim, NeuroInsights, Neurologix, Neurolutions, Neuromodulation Ventures, Neuronascent, Neuronetics, Neuronetrix, NeuroNexus Technologies, NeuroNova AB, NeuroPace, Neurotechnology Industry Organization, Neurotech Reports, NeuroVentures, NFocus Neuromedical, NINDS/NIH, NIMH/NIH, North American Neuromodulation Society, Novartis Pharma AG, Novo Ventures, Omneuron, OpusGen, Otonomy, Oxford Bioscience Partners, Parexel, Pfizer, Pharmawire/Financial Times, Philips Research, Prexa Pharmaceuticals, Prize4Life, Prospect Venture Partners, Proteus Biomedical, PsychoGenics, PureTech Ventures, Q Therapeutics, QiG Group, San Jose BioCenter, Sanderling Ventures, Sandia National Laboratories, Satoris, Scale Venture Partners, Science Magazine, Science Futures, Siemens Venture Capital, Sierra Neuropharmaceuticals, Signum Biosciences, Silere Medical Technology, Shire, Sound Pharmaceuticals, SpectrumCare, Spinal Modulation, Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation, Stanford University, StemCells, Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Synsonix, Targacept, Technology Partners, Technology Review, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Texcel Medical, Thallo Bioscience Advisors, The Gray Sheet, The Jackson Laboratory, The Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center, Thomas, McNerney & Partners, Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Tronics Medtech, UC Berkeley, Univ of Texas HSC/CCT, Univeristy of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of California, Irvine, University of Utah, Versant Ventures, Vivo Ventures, Weill Cornell Medical College, World Brain Forum, Xytis Inc., Zarlink Semiconductor, Zoomedia

Reserve Your Spot Now and View Agenda. Don't miss this excellent networking opportunity to discover partnering opportunities from across commercial neuroscience.

Conference Details:
Date: May 11-13, 2009
Location: St. Regis, San Francisco

Audience: CEOs, CSOs, CFOs, business development executives, non-profit leaders, corporate investors, venture capitalists, private equity investors, institutional investors, technology transfer experts, licensing executives

I took part in a several hour group discussion at the Decade of Mind conference back in January on neurotech and national security. Chris Forsythe of Sandia National Laboratories & James Giordano of Georgetown University & Potomac Institute for Policy Studies wrote up this nice synopsis of the discussion.

"We are approaching a time when brain science will be critical to our national security. Whether the basis for enhanced human performance or more intelligent machines, the impacts will be broad, motivating innovations in technologies, policies and practices. The prospects are similar to an earlier time ( i.e.- the 19th century) when advances in scientific understanding of the chemistry of explosives revolutionized weaponry, and the ways in which war was conducted. Brain science is poised to incur similarly far-reaching changes. There is need for a coordinated strategy as brain science becomes an increasingly important component of, and the basis for potential threats to, our national security. This strategy should provide a roadmap for translating advances, bolstered by initiatives such as the proposed Decade of the Mind and National Neurotechnology Initiative, to the national security domain. This strategy should also assure safeguards and governance, promoting U.S. leadership in establishing standards for the application of brain science to military, intelligence and other security domains. At the Fourth Decade of the Mind Conference, January 13-15, 2009, four areas were identified wherein national security will be impacted by advances in brain science.

1. Adversarial Application of Brain Science exemplified by: (a) nanoparticles engineered to affect specific brain processes, (b) “super soldiers” created through pharmaceuticals and/or brain stimulation enabling troops to think/react more quickly, exert greater concentration, etc. (c) brain imaging for interrogation/lie detection, and (d) intelligent machines replicating the mechanisms by which humans and other animals perform signal detection, information processing, etc.
2. Expanding the Limits of Human-Machine Systems Performance through technologies overcoming human perceptual and cognitive constraints limiting today’s technological solutions.
3. “Learner Specific” Education and Training - customized to the variable strengths and weaknesses of learners minimizing knowledge acquisition time and maximizing outcomes.
4. Brain Injuries and Disorders - treatments curtailing and reversing brain damage with understanding of mechanisms underlying psychological resilience suggesting techniques for assessing susceptibility, protecting against and treating stress-related pathologies.

It is reasonable to assume other nations have focused research and development on each of these areas. We assert that the U.S. should not engage in compensatory, “catch-up” research programs, as this will be costly to our national security from both an economic and pragmatic perspective. There are few fields that are as rapidly advancing as brain science. Combined with innovations in nanotechnology, genetics, microelectronics, etc., advances in brain science will only accelerate, and it is probable that major breakthroughs relevant to national security are both viable and imminently achievable. Consequently, we argue that there is need for a coordinated, strategic effort to address the ramifications of brain science in the interest of our national security."

Note: For more about the legalities of neurowarfare I recommend this paper written by Cornell Law School student Stephen White.

The New Yorker just published Brain Gain written by Margaret Talbot, in which Casey and I are interviewed. The interview was over 8 months ago. Amazing time line for these articles sometimes...

Zack and Casey Lynch are a young couple who, in 2005, launched NeuroInsights, a company that advises investors on developments in brain-science technology. (Since then, they’ve also founded a lobbying group, the Neurotechnology Industry Organization.) Casey and Zack met as undergraduates at U.C.L.A.; she went on to get a master’s degree in neuroscience at U.C.S.F., and he became an executive at a software company. Last summer, I had coffee with them in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, and they both spoke with casual certainty about the coming market for neuroenhancers. Zack, who has a book being published this summer, called “The Neuro Revolution,” said, “We live in an information society. What’s the next form of human society? The neuro-society.” In coming years, he said, scientists will understand the brain better, and we’ll have improved neuroenhancers that some people will use therapeutically, others because they are “on the borderline of needing them therapeutically,” and others purely “for competitive advantage.”

....page 7...

And yet when enthusiasts share their vision of our neuroenhanced future it can sound dystopian. Zack Lynch, of NeuroInsights, gave me a rationale for smart pills that I found particularly grim. “If you’re a fifty-five-year-old in Boston, you have to compete with a twenty-six-year-old from Mumbai now, and those kinds of pressures are only going to grow,” he began. Countries other than the U.S. might tend to be a little looser with their regulations, and offer approval of new cognitive enhancers first. “And if you’re a company that’s got forty-seven offices worldwide, and all of a sudden your Singapore office is using cognitive enablers, and you’re saying to Congress, ‘I’m moving all my financial operations to Singapore and Taiwan, because it’s legal to use those there,’ you bet that Congress is going to say, ‘Well, O.K.’ It will be a moot question then. It would be like saying, ‘No, you can’t use a cell phone. It might increase productivity!’ ”

Grim, eh?

Neuroethicist Hank Greely was interviewed recently by the Farm, Stanford's magazine, about why the Nature article on neurocognitive enhancement was a good idea.

Some good snippets: (1) "Part of me thinks that any attention is good attention, because we think this is a really important issue." (2) "Our regulatory system isn’t set up to look at or think about the enhancement uses of drugs that are approved for medical conditions." (3) "Right now, to the extent the public has thought about this issue at all, it’s kind of the knee-jerk “drugs are bad, enhancement is bad, let’s ignore it.” Not a good solution." (4)"I think it (neuroethics) is really fascinating, really hard, not going to be figured out in my lifetime and more important than genetics." (5) "For me personally it’s the sense of inevitability. We’re going to have to confront this issue, and we haven’t even begun to think about it. (6) So, if given free rein, I would rewrite the regulatory regime in a way to make the regulation of these kinds of drugs, when used for enhancing purposes, more rational. (7) But I do think that some changes will be needed. I’m ultimately not pessimistic about whether we’ll get those changes.

In anticipation of the publication of my book launch in July, I'm stepping up my neurogame and have started to twitter about current and futuristic topics of interest around The Neuro Revolution. You can follow me @neurorev. Enjoy!

Slowly but surely, the word about the beneficial effects that the National Neurotechnology Initiative Act would have on our ability to accelerate the development of treatments for the brain and nervous system is slowly seeping into the national consciousness as evidenced by the today's Op-ed mention by Michael Paul Mason in his piece Keeping Our Head.

"THE death of the actress Natasha Richardson after a fall on a ski slope has further publicized an ugly truth that millions of Americans already know: Hardly anyone outside of an emergency room knows how to respond to brain trauma. There isn’t a standard response system that has been adequately promulgated in high school or college athletics, boxing rings or ski resorts. We’re fascinated by the inner workings of the brain and marvel at its mysteries, yet we aren’t very serious about protecting our most prized organ.

"The best hope for legislative reform comes from the National Neurotechnology Initiative Act, introduced last year, which calls for $200 million toward “science and technology that allows an individual to analyze, understand, treat and heal the brain and nervous system.”

A cool new study in The Journal Neuroscience shows that the activity in the caudate nucleus can predict a person's preferences. The study showed that after a decision is made, activity in the caudate nucleus increases for the selected option and decreases for the rejected one.

The researchers imaged people's brains as they imagined vacationing in 80 different destinations around the world. After rating how much they would like to travel to each location, participants were asked to decide between similarly rated options — for example, Greece or Thailand. Participants then imagined and rated each location again, and their brains were imaged a second time.

"Re-evaluating our options post-choice may serve an adaptive purpose by increasing an individual's commitment to the action taken. In the absence of a rapid update of value that concurs with choice, we are likely to second-guess our decisions and actions," said study author Tali Sharot, PhD, a British Academy postdoctoral fellow at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London.

I've spent a few years on this...happy to see it moving forward in the 111th Congress.

National Neurotechnology Initiative Act seeks to accelerate development of new treatments for brain and nervous system conditions

SAN FRANCISCO & WASHINGTON, D.C., March 12 - A team of prominent members of both houses of Congress introduced today the National Neurotechnology Initiative (NNTI) Act, a bill designed to foster new discoveries and accelerate the development of new and safer treatments for the one in three Americans living with a brain-related illness, injury or disease.

The sponsors of the NNTI Act, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representatives Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI 1st) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL 18th), have called upon Congress to reverse the growing economic burden generated by brain-related illness, which exceeds $1 trillion per year in the U.S. due to healthcare costs and lost income.

"The huge numbers speak for themselves: There are 100 million Americans suffering from a brain-related illness, with an enormous economic burden that continues to grow as the population ages," said Zack Lynch, Executive Director of the Neurotechnology Industry Organization. "For a modest investment, Congress has the opportunity to streamline research efforts, accelerate the development of new treatments, promote innovation and job creation by small businesses and have a meaningful impact on the lives of those suffering from devastating diseases and injuries."

Designed to increase private investment and accelerate the development of treatments reaching the market, the NNTI employs targeted increases in funding to improve Federal research coordination and ease bottlenecks that inhibit the development of treatments for brain-related illnesses. The bill accomplishes these goals with less than 4 percent of the total Federal neuroscience research budget - $200 million - and reflects a more balanced disease-cost to research-dollars-expended ratio.

"While our ability to understand how the brain works grows each day, our ability to understand and repair brain illnesses remains limited," said Senator Murray. "For the millions of Americans that suffer from a brain related illness, and the thousands of Americans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD, a new federal commitment to research and treatment can't wait. This bill will place a premium on sharing the information researchers gain everyday and will support ongoing but underfunded programs at NIH."

"With so many Americans suffering from brain-related illnesses, it is crucial for us as a society to maximize our efforts and continue learning about the many facets of the brain, leading to a healthier life for all Americans," said Congressman Patrick Kennedy.

"This legislation will turn America into a nation where brain injuries and diseases are tackled through innovative technology, state of the art medical equipment and top notch neuroscientists. Together we can make this a reality," said Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

A new Economics Research Network (ERN) eJournal in Neuroeconomics has been launched. The editors include: Kevin A. McCabe, George Mason University - Center for the Study of Neuroeconomics, George Mason University and Michael C. Jensen, Harvard Business School, The Monitor Company, Social Science Electronic Publishing (SSEP), Inc.

Description: Economic outcomes are the product of many individual decisions, constrained by scarcity, and equilibrium forces that simultaneously shape a person's social networks and the institutionally defined rules of the game. Decisions are made by computations in the brain which produce action-choices that directly affect the homeostatic wellbeing of the individual and choices that indirectly change wellbeing by changing an individual's future constraints, the scope of their social networks, and their message sending rights within the institutions they participate. Neuroeconomics broadly speaking is interested in the study of these computations and the resulting choices they produce. This includes experiments that attempt to understand the mechanisms of neuronal computations that produce action-choices, theories which predict how neuronal computations in socio-economic environments produce decisions, outcomes and wellbeing, and policy which use our understanding of neuoroeconomic behavior to either build or defend better solutions to societal problems.

Hat tip to Vint.

The book won't be out until July 21, but Germany got a glimpse of The Neuro Revolution on prime time TV today. During this 6 minute segment which aired on the cultural program called "Kulturzeit" I share some thoughts on brain enhancement along with Hank Greeley at Stanford. "Culture Time" is seen across Germany, Austria and Switzerland each night. The segment was titled "Brain Doping". I appear in the interview from minute 1 through minute 4 1/2. There is a wonderful 10 second gaze on the Cover of THE NEURO REVOLUTION.

You'll need a highbandwidth connection to watch this:
http://hstreaming.zdf.de/3sat/veryhigh/090226_doping_kuz.mov

Zack Lynch: Pillen für ein besseres Gedächtnis bald Alltag
Zack Lynchs Buch "Die Neuro-Revolution" beschreibt, wie wir in der Zukunft leben, arbeiten und unsere Freizeit gestalten. Mit unfehlbaren Lügendetektoren, die Zeugenaussagen mit Magnetresonanzbildern des Gehirns auf ihren Wahrheitsgehalt überprüfen, Börsenmanagern, die ihre Gehirnscans auswerten, um gewinnbringend Aktien zu kaufen, oder Videospiele, die anstatt mit Joystick direkt von unseren Gehirnströmen gesteuert werden. Die Erforschung von Alterskrankheiten wie Alzheimer, Demenz oder Parkinson schaffte neue Grundlagen, um das menschliche Gehirn besser zu verstehen. Eine Babyboomer-Generation mit stetig steigender Lebenserwartung schafft einen Markt für Gehirn-Anabolica aller Art: Pillen für ein besseres Gedächtnis, schärferes Sehen oder besseres Hören sind laut Lynch bald ein alltägliches Hilfsmittel.

Every year or so for the past half dozen, a news story makes headlines that highlights the memory fading quality of propanolol. This time around it is a Dutch study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience that is making the rounds. Emoticeuticals that can mute emotional memories are a double edged sword that will continue to create controversy the more precise they become and the more wide spread their usage gets.

Here was one of the key arguments we used on this year's NIO public policy up on Capitol Hill.

THE NEUROTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY IS UNDERCAPITALIZED DUE TO R&D BOTTLENECKS.
According to leading neurotechnology analysis firm NeuroInsights, annual venture capital investment in US neurotechnology companies was approximately $1.35 billion in 2007. This investment funded roughly 400 companies, providing high-quality jobs to 45,000 Americans. But much more can be done. R&D bottlenecks, such as lack of research coordination and a long and uncertain FDA approval process, are preventing an estimated $1.5 billion in further annual investment in US neurotechnology companies. This investment would lead to the creation of as many as 500 more companies and 50,000 more high-quality jobs.

THE NATIONAL NEUROTECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE REMOVES THESE R&D BOTTLENECKS.
The National Neurotechnology Initiative (NNTI) uses less than four percent of current federal brain research funding to remove key bottlenecks in the R&D process:

• Bottleneck 1: Agencies do not coordinate their neurotechnology research. The NNTI establishes a National Neurotechnology Coordinating Office within the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that NIH, DOD, and VA are working together and not duplicating effort.
• Bottleneck 2: The 16 Institutes within the NIH that focus on brain research are insufficiently coordinated. The NNTI fully funds and supports the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, an ongoing inter-institute research effort.
• Bottleneck 3: NIH is pushing too few treatments out of the lab and into development. The NNTI funds SBIR and STTR programs at NIH to accelerate this process.
• Bottleneck 4: FDA approval processes for brain-related drugs, devices, and diagnostics are slower and more expensive than for other treatments, and approval pathways are uncertain. The NNTI provides funding for FDA to hire and train neurotechnology experts and set much-needed neurotechnology standards.

THE NNTI LEVERAGES 7X AS MUCH PRIVATE CAPITAL TO CREATE JOBS.
Removing these bottlenecks will catalyze private investment by making neurotechnology R&D more efficient and productive. NeuroInsights estimates that the federal investment represented by the NNTI will have a multiplier effect of nearly 7x in private capital.

THE NNTI ADDRESSES THE $1 TRILLION ANNUAL ECONOMIC BURDEN OF BRAIN ILLNESS.
More than 100 million Americans – one in three – are affected by some type of brain-related illness, injury, or disorder. These include mental illness, addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, autism, chronic pain, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, and many others. They also include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), which disproportionally affect members of our armed forces. The combined economic burden of these diseases is more than $1 trillion per year. Lessening this burden will further improve the economy.

The New York Times reports on how color can influence creativity based on a Science article about researchers at the University of British Columbia who conducted tests with 600 people to see how cognitive performance varies when people see red or blue.

As The Neuro Revolution emerges it becomes increasingly clear that the social and ethical implications of advancing neurotech will take many institutions to contemplate, debate and create effective policy. Here are a few of the best source to get more information: Neuroethics at the University of Pennsylvania , University of British Columbia, National Core for Neuroethics, Neuroethics Society , Dana Foundation, Law and Neuroscience Project, Stanford program on Neuroethics and the ever present Neuroethics and Law Blog. Here is a review of the first Neuroethics Society meeting held in November 2008.

Yes, all those neuro's are useful and necessary.

NeuroFocus, an emerging neuromarketing company that uses neuroelectric technologies (EEG's as opposed to MRI - neuromagnetic) has hired cognitive neuroscientist John Polich as its Director of Global NeuroLab Operations as it prepares to meet a projected 300% growth in client research assignments. He joins NeuroFocus from The Scripps Research Institute's Molecular and Integrated Neuroscience Department (MIND), where he has long been considered one of the world's leading authorities on electrical measures of human cognitive functions, with over 200 scientific articles published in major neuroscience journals. The company made this selection as it ramps up the rollout of NeuroLabs in the U.S. and targets expansion in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Korea, India, and China as well. NeuroLabs are stand-alone neuroelectric testing centers, designed, constructed, and fully staffed by NeuroFocus teams of neurophysiologists, analysts, and engineers, which operate at client sites.

NIO is supporting an economic stimulus proposal to promote innovation and job creation by U.S. research-intensive emerging companies.The core of the proposal is a one time refund of net operating losses (NOLs) in lieu of other tax benefits to sustain critical R&D during the current financial downturn (details below).

NIO is helping build an "innovation coalition" of trade groups in support of the stimulus proposal that represent additional science and technology driven sectors of the economy which already includes the NanoBusiness Alliance, Biotechnology Industry Organization, Personal Space Flight Federation, Water Innovations Alliance. NIO is hosting meetings on Capitol Hill on February 10-11 in support of this proposal and the National Neurotechnology Initiative.

Details

Economic Stimulus Proposal to Promote Innovation and Job Creation by U.S. Research-Intensive Emerging Companies

One Time Refund of NOLs in Lieu of Other Tax Benefits to Sustain Critical R&D During Current Financial Downturn

Description: Allow companies to temporarily elect to receive a refund of their accumulated net operating losses (NOLs) at a discounted rate in lieu of claiming qualified research expenses, as defined by Code 41(b), for Tax Year 2008. The proposal would have the following features:

* Election to receive a refund of accrued NOLs at a discounted rate (i.e., 35% corporate tax minus a discount percentage).
* Refunds must be reinvested in investments that would qualify as U.S.-based research expenses under Code 41(b).
* Company would permanently forgo the opportunity to claim all NOLs involved in the computation of the refund.
* Applies only to loss companies in Tax Year 2008.
* Limited to small companies.
* Refund capped at a per company dollar amount.

Example: Assuming a discount percentage of 15%, a small neurotech/biotech/nanotech/cleantech company with $100M in accumulated NOLs could elect to claim a refund of $20M on their 2008 tax return ($100M x (35% - 15%) = $20M). The $20M refund could only be used to pay for U.S.-based research activities. The company would forgo the ability to carry forward the remaining $80M in NOLs for future tax years.

Rationale: Many of America's most promising companies in the areas of science and technology are struggling to raise the necessary research funding to survive the current economic slowdown and may disappear if economic conditions do not improve in the very near future. In order to save the high-paying, research-intensive jobs of America's innovation economy, Congress should allow companies to accelerate the utilization of their tax assets. Companies struggling to conduct capital-intensive R&D and meet payroll during the economic downturn will forgo a larger tax benefit in the future to claim a smaller tax benefit today. The proposal has minimum revenue impact since companies are only claiming accumulated NOLs at a substantial discount in return for forgoing the ability to claim remaining NOLs in future tax years.

As I mentioned recently in Forbes we need to act now to stem the loss of innovative neurotherapeutics. This proposal will greatly benefit emerging companies developing drugs, devices and diagnostics for the brain and nervous system who are currently struggling to raise the necessary research funding to survive the current economic downturn. Join us in Washington DC.

I'm off to New Mexico to participate in a Decade of the Mind meeting. DOM-IV is focusing on "Reverse Engineering the Brain: Sowing the Seeds for Technology Innovation" and has a pre-conference session on neuroethics, legal, and social issues, followed by sessions on potential benefits of neurotech, current hurdles to overcome and science and technology seeds of success. Lots of very interesting speakers.

Several NIMH staff members were recognized this week for extraordinary creativity and program efficiency in launching new research initiatives focused on the mental health needs of military service members, veterans and their families. These staff developed a new research initiatives seeking grants designed to describe and evaluate national, state and local programs that address the mental health needs of returning service members and their families as well new research efforts in response to reports of substantial mental distress and adjustment difficulties among military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and among their family members.

The NIMH awardees are: Robert K. Heinssen Jr., David A. Chambers, Jovier D. Evans, Steven A. Gerber, Amy B. Goldstein, Lauren D. Hill, Robert A. Mays Jr., Jane L. Pearson, Michael Schoenbaum, Farris Tuma, Sc.D., Christine M. Ulbricht, Philip Wang. It's great to see these people recognized for their important efforts.

A good friend of mine, Jim Collier who blogs Acting White, made this dot representation for me. I had to post it.

NIO's third annual Public Policy Tour of Washington, DC will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 10-11, 2009. The two-day event will include high-level meetings on Capitol Hill and with the Department of Veterans Affairs and National Institutes of Health. The NIO Public Policy Tour of Washington, DC commences Tuesday, February 10 on Capitol Hill. Meetings are scheduled with key Senators, Representatives of the House and their staffers at their offices. Participants will introduce NIO and present our key proposals, including the National Neurotechnology Initiative (NNTI). This will be followed by a meeting with representatives from the National Institutes of Health. Wednesday, February 11, will begin up on Capitol Hill and will finish with a mid-day meeting with key officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs. NIO members will get to introduce themselves and join in a free form discussion with officials about their individual company issues.

I was interviewed today on the BBC World Service Business Daily for my perspective on cognitive enhancers.

"We explore the controversial area of whether business people should use prescription drugs to enhance their brain power - we ask if, in future, it might be commonplace to pop a pill to focus your thoughts - but what are the risks right now?" Take a listen (will only be up for a week). Then you'll need to find archives.

In a bold 21st Century declaration, a group of intelligent, thoughtful and creative neuroethicists have come forward in this week's Nature with a issue defining article calling for the responsible use of cognitive-enhancing drugs by the healthy. Realizing that the age of neurocompetition is arriving, they (Henry Greely, Barbara Sahakian, John Harris, Ronald C. Kessler, Michael Gazzaniga, Philip Campbell & Martha J. Farah) state their case and way forward as follows:

1.Based on our considerations, we call for a presumption that mentally competent adults should be able to engage in cognitive enhancement using drugs.

2. We call for an evidence-based approach to the evaluation of the risks and benefits of cognitive enhancement.

3. We call for enforceable policies concerning the use of cognitive-enhancing drugs to support fairness, protect individuals from coercion and minimize enhancement-related socioeconomic disparities.

4. We call for a programme of research into the use and impacts of cognitive-enhancing drugs by healthy individuals.

5. We call for physicians, educators, regulators and others to collaborate in developing policies that address the use of cognitive-enhancing drugs by healthy individuals.

6. We call for information to be broadly disseminated concerning the risks, benefits and alternatives to pharmaceutical cognitive enhancement.

7. We call for careful and limited legislative action to channel cognitive-enhancement technologies into useful paths.

"Like all new technologies, cognitive enhancement can be used well or poorly. We should welcome new methods of improving our brain function. In a world in which human workspans and lifespans are increasing, cognitive enhancement tools — including the pharmacological — will be increasingly useful for improved quality of life and extended work productivity, as well as to stave off normal and pathological age-related cognitive declines. Safe and effective cognitive enhancers will benefit both the individual and society. But it would also be foolish to ignore problems that such use of drugs could create or exacerbate. With this, as with other technologies, we need to think and work hard to maximize its benefits and minimize its harms."

The complete article offers more comprehensive analysis of the issues, but as we look forward it is clear that the canaries in the coal mine are getting much louder now as we march more fully into our emerging neurosociety. It is critical that we move forward with safety being paramount weighed thoughtfully against the life improving potential of these new tools for individual and societal empowerment.

In case you were wondering, I'll try anything once. Here I am at the Society for Neuroscience conference a few weeks back in DC wearing EyeSeeCam, a novel head-mounted camera controlled by the user's eye movements. It allows, for the first time, to literally see the world through somebody else’s eyes.

A mobile eye tracker system continuously directs the camera towards the user's point of gaze, so that the camera captures exactly what the user’s eyes see. The idea to image such a subjective view is not new – it has a long tradition, for example, in the movie-making industry. Movies like ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ (1931) and, more recently, ‘Being John Malkovich’ (1999) contain sequences of so-called point-of-view shots. EyeSeeCam takes this technique a major step further; it accurately captures the highly dynamic retinal content of the user’s visual exploration.

EyeSeeCam is based on the combination of two technologies: an eye tracking and a camera motion device that operates as an artificial eye. The challenges in designing such a system are mobility, high bandwidth, and low total latency. These challenges are met by a newly developed lightweight eye tracker that is able to synchronously measure binocular eye positions at up to 600 Hertz. The camera motion device consists of a parallel kinematics setup with a backlash-free gimbal joint that is driven by piezo actuators with no reduction gears. As a result, the latency between eye rotations and the camera is as low as 10 milliseconds.

EyeSeeCam provides a new tool for fundamental studies in vision research, particularly, on human gaze behavior in the real world. This prototype is a first attempt to combine free user mobility with biological image stabilization and unrestricted exploration of the visual surround in a man-made technical vision system.

I wore it all around the exhibition floor and as you might imagine ended up in quite a few interesting conversations. Upon analyzing the video it became apparent that I'm a fan of people's ears and shoes. Go figure.

Jonathan Moreno writes another insightful piece, Intelligence on the Brain which discusses the need for a new dialogue on neuroresearch and national security.

Neuroscience is increasingly relevant to a number of professions and academic disciplines beyond its traditional medical applications. Indeed, for any field in which it is important to understand, predict or influence human behavior, neuroscience will play an increasing role. The Penn Neuroscience Boot Camp is designed to give participants a basic foundation in cognitive and affective neuroscience and to equip them to be informed consumers of neuroscience research. The Boot Camp faculty consists of leaders in the fields of cognitive and affective neuroscience who are committed to the goal of educating non-neuroscientists.

Lawyers, educators, economists and businesspeople, as well as scholars of sociology, philosophy, applied ethics and policy, are incorporating the concepts and methods of neuroscience into their work. Graduate and professional students, working professionals and college and university faculty are encouraged to apply. The only prerequisites are a grasp of basic statistics and at least a dim recollection of high school biology and physics. (A short set of readings will be made available prior to the Boot Camp to remind you about the essentials.) Participants will be housed on campus in air-conditioned apartment-style suites with private bedrooms.