What do you imagine if you miss the term "artificial neurons"? Surely something like sheathed wires that are regularly shown to us in science fiction films. However, in life, everything looks different. Although, admittedly, it is no less futuristic and interesting. For example, an international team of scientists recently invented artificial neurons on silicon chips that behave just like real ones. This is the first device of its kind. Which, moreover, is suitable for human transplantation.
Why are artificial neurons needed?
According to the website of the University of Bath (UK), the new artificial neurons are excellent for the treatment of chronic diseases such as heart failure, Alzheimer's disease and other problems associated with nerve fiber degeneration. It is critically important that artificial neurons not only behave in the same way as biological neurons, but also practically do not need a power source (the built-in battery "will last for a lifetime"), which makes them ideal for use in medical implants and other bioelectric devices.
The research team, led by the University of Bath and including researchers from the universities of Bristol, Zurich and Auckland, argues that artificial neurons respond to electrical signals from the nervous system like real ones, which many have tried to achieve for decades.
Also, experts give an example of the use of technology. For example, in heart failure, the neurons at the base of the brain do not respond properly to signals from the nervous system, and they in turn do not send the correct signals to the heart, which is not working as it should. Replacing "broken" neurons with artificial ones solves this problem.
One of the main design challenges was the nonlinear response of neurons. The responses of neurons can be unpredictable: if the signal sent is very strong, then it is not at all necessary that the response will be the same. Mathematical calculations and careful modeling based on these non-linear responses have allowed the creation of artificial neurons that respond to stimuli in the same way as living healthy tissues would.
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After deriving patterns from mathematical models, the scientists developed silicon chips that faithfully reproduced biological ion channels (one of the main components that provide the conductive function of neurons), before proving that their "silicon neurons" accurately mimicked how real ones work.
The creation of such neurons suggests that now it is possible to replace old or already dead pathways and cells with their help in order to restore various functions of the body. In particular, the new invention will be useful for patients with developing Alzheimer's disease and other similar conditions.
Vladimir Kuznetsov
