Aspies For Freedom

In order to prove the existence of neurotypes, it seems to me that we'd have to distinguish a few in the general population which are not (as with AS, Autism, and ADHD) listed as psychological disorders.

Neurology relies primarily on brain imageing devices, of which the most useful are functional MRIs, are multi-million dollar pieces of equipment.  These therefore are limite access, and generally used for studying "brain disorders" and deformations.

Neurology is much more useful than psychology in many ways.  Think of what we could do if we understood the brain better.

The cost of MRIs limits research, and the small amounts of research limit the benefits, which would drive the price down.

This all occured to me when I was thinking about computers, which were inititally much the same as MRIs today in cost and function.

Me parece que if somebody could find a way of making an MRI equivilent of a personal computer, the benefits would be enormous.

The first mass-produced MRIs, I suppose that they'd hardly be personal, would be little less expensive than the original MRIs, and less functional  in some ways.

If though there was a way of reducing the cost getting a lot of MRIs into use though, we'd see something akin to the computer revolution.

As more information was provided about the brain, the knowledge that we gained would be immensely beneficial.  The research techniques and MRI capacities could be honed, and MRIs likely combined with PET scans, providing further benefit.

MRIs would get better, cheaper, and more effective, and would grow in the popularity of use.

Neurotypes could easily be identified, as could genuine pyschological issues and much more besides.

The fake disorders that characterize the DSM would become a thing of the past, and all brain differences could be grouped into "neurotype" "permutation" "disorder" or "brain damage" depending on cause and benefits.

This would all be wonderful, but it occurs to me. . .

I know nothing about how PCs were developed and little about how MRIs work.  I'm smart enough that I may be able to figure it out, or I may not.  If I cold find somebody who knows engineering it might be better.

Really the whole question is:

Is the first step of making cheaper MRIs, even at some loss of functionality, at all possible.

Everything that I described will probably come to pass eventually, but without some jump that suddenly puts multiple MRIs within range of experimental groups that previously could not afford it, it would take centuries.

Thoughts?

I do know that MRI machines require a very large and powerful magnet, otherwise it wouldn't be able to detect very much.  

Originally, computers required very large and expensive vacuum tubes, otherwise, no amount of computing could be done.  The personal computer became possible when the large vacuum tubes were made obsolete by the small and cheap microchip.  

The enormous magnet must be rendered obsolete.

Thanks.

Knowing the problem is many times half the solution.

It'd be extrordinary luck if somebody here has an idea on the other half.
Or if I could figure it out myself and pocket the money.

Since miracles rarely happen unless one makes them, I suppose the thing to do is try to sound out engineering students at UMass.

First an interface, then brain mapping software is what I'm seeing.  Although I don't imagine the experience would be very pleasant.

So it would probably take longer than an MRI?

What if the head could be completely immobilized, allowing movement with the rest of the body?

And actually, I've moved my head slightly during breaks in MRI scanning, and the pictures always seem fine (they've showed them to me.

Or did you mean unpleasant in another way than claustrophobia.

I meant a program that actually sent impulses through the brain via some kind of port, and in that way recorded brain function.  Not only would it have to include the pain centers, but the very intrusion would be quite disturbing.  

Claustrophobia would not be an issue, as consciousness would be extremely...altered, shall we say.  At the same time, it could not be done without the person being aware of it.  Head movement would not be a problem, as you would be "plugged in," either physically or with some sort of transmitter.  

Of course, one can forsee a later development whereby any record in the brain would be erased, but such tech would have the most horrid abuses imaginable.  One can only hope such rewriting ability is never achieved.

Ahh.
Interesting.

And I think that re-wiring will almost certainly be possible eventually.

The question is largely the extent to which it will be accomplished and used.

It would probably require direct presence of the person.

I'd say that it should probably be legal for voluntary reasons, and heavily regulated, and perhaps re-wiring used as a penalty for those who are found to abuse it.

Illegal dangerous things have a nasty tendency to become prevelant with the black market the only one.

The really scary thing is if re-wiring could be achieve by visual or audio signals.
Propaganda would reach a whole new level.

I don't know how it would be possible to forge new connections in the brain with invasive software, and I don't know how invasive brain mapping would work either.  But it seems to me like there would be a definite possibility.  It's still electricity, unless I am mistaken.  

Me, I'd be getting into the personal faraday cage business.  My tagline: use your transmitters and recievers only when YOU want to!  It would be like firewalls are today.  Imagine someone writes a virus, but instead of deleting your keyboard drivers, it deletes your motor cortex.  Hardware problem?  Mucho!

Probably possible.
The strength of an elextric magnet is determined by the electricity used.

Though I'm sure somebody's thought of it and there's a reason it's not done.

So to learn the reason and get around it in that case.

Maybe, for some reason unknown to us, an MRI helmet would actually be more expensive.

Or maybe they're already making one...