In regards to the process of inserting wire electrodes deep within the brain:
- Remarkably, in the 1950s and 60s, under the pretence of research on psychosis, such procedures were carried out in human subjects who were administered hallucinogenic drugs such as mescaline and LSD. Despite the ethically questionable nature of these experiments, they did reveal some interesting clues about the neurobiology of the hallucinatory state. Specifically, phasic discharges in medial temporal
lobe (MTL) circuitry (i.e. the hippocampus, amygdala and septal nuclei) appeared in recordings during periods of marked hallucinosis, while
the more familiar cortical desynchrony associated with hallucinogens was also present (Monroe & Heath, 1961; Schwarz et al., 1956).
Yesterday somebody was telling me about how they've done research on babies as to the result of someone looking directly in to their eyes, expressionless while the baby cries. -I've not doubt that it can provide some amazing insight, but what about the impact?
Anyways, theadvancedapes, you might enjoy this read about how hallucinogens work on the brain.
By an odd coincidence, I am now re-reading Spider Robinson's "Mindkiller", a sci-fi novel from the early 80's (but set in the late 90's), which was one of the first I know of to deal with the concept of "wireheading" as drug use. Pretty good stuff; I read it shortly after it came out and liked it; interesting to see what he got right and wrong about the near future.
I'm about halfway through; I plan to do a small book report for #hubskibookclub about it.
It's funny, it's harder to see what he got right. What he got wrong leaps off the page, as you'd expect. Video calling and MJ legalisation he got somewhat right, if a little early. He mentions his home computer (a very high-end model) has 4 terabytes of memory, which would have seemed insane when he wrote it.
One of the funny ones he got wrong - he reckoned cigarettes would be ashless and self-lighting. I'm assuming he is (or was) a smoker.
- ...wonder what horrible shit is happening in research...
What horrible shit happened here? There must've been some sedation of the patient during the procedure.. sure it's invasive but it's not the Middle Ages. Bypass surgeries could warrant a doctor sticking a tube into your groin and snaking it through your arteries all the way up your torso and for the record it's considered non-invasive by our technological standards.
Most such procedures you mention involve an interventional radiologist, using complex imaging modalities to carefully snake the device through your arteries. It's an extremely common procedure, because it is safe and relatively painless, considering.
The article sites a procedure that would have occurred on patients TRIPPING ON LSD that had wires surgically implanted in their brain. IN THE 1950's. I guarantee that this procedure has become less invasive over time. Even so, such procedures are done with reluctance even today. Why? Because it's your brain, it's not a groin, an artery etc. We can tread heavily in certain areas of medicine, because we know the biology better, but the brain is still some very thin ice. Imagine how thin it was in the 1950s.
The brain is strangely robust and fragile at the same time. People with massive trauma to all kinds of shit can eventually regain almost 100% functionality as the brain routes around damaged areas. Or, you can get a microscopic clot in just the right area and die near-instantly. Crazy shit.
Ok that makes sense, and it also leaves me wondering how much of their data corresponds to the particular state of the patient during their trip which I'm just gonna assume would be the worst trip imaginable given the environment and experience. it would be interesting to see if the readings would be different if they were having a good time.
- Bypass surgeries could warrant a doctor sticking a tube into your groin and snaking it through your arteries all the way up your torso
From experience, that sucks realllllly bad though. They literally have to sandbag your femoral artery afterwards so it doesn't fountain blood. Woke up in a Demerol (Among other things) haze and thought I had a sumo wrestler giving me a lapdance.