Communication with Neurons

Consider a future in which doctors can repair spinal cords and can treat various neurological disorders without drugs. What sounds like science fiction is within reach, thanks to advancements in materials science. Paralysis, chronic pain and Parkinson’s disease involve malfunctions of the nervous system. Addressing the malfunctions requires communicating with the system’s “building blocks”: neurons. Today, doctors accomplish this through an intrusive “deep brain stimulation implant.” They insert wires into a patient’s brain to transmit electrical charges to neurons. This treatment helps those with Parkinson’s move again but can alter their personalities, partly because...