Smarter, Faster, & Focused

Authored by JP Errico via RealClearHealth,

In March of 2016, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) initiated a program to see whether it was possible to literally enhance cognitive function, i.e., become inherently smarter, through technological intervention.  The quest for greater intelligence may sound like the stuff of ancient mythology or dystopian science fiction, complete with tragic moral teachings about hubris.  This tale, however, is less Greek tragedy and more Gene Roddenberry!

DARPA’s mission was launched after a decade or so of provocative case reports and small uncontrolled studies that revealed improved mental capacities among various neuromodulation patients.  These seemingly enhanced abilities included memory, verbal facility, spatial relations, and combined accuracy and speed on specialized learning tests.

The TNT, or Targeted Neuroplasticity Training program was established to test a series of different technologies to see if any could accelerate learning by enhancing the brain’s curious ability to continuously evolve based on experiences.  Neuroplasticity is a fancy term that simply means changing neural connections to improve performance, and it encompasses learning, recall, and applying acquired knowledge.

After a series of tests conducted by multiple research groups across a dozen different technologies, one stood head and shoulders above the rest.  Before telling you what it is, however, I need to explain a little about how human brains form and how they evolve through life.

The human brain starts forming just a few weeks after conception when the embryo is made up of only a few layers of cells. At this stage, a structure called the yolk sac exists inside the placenta, adjacent to the embryo. At a well-choreographed moment in the development, a group of cells, called macrophage progenitors, migrate en masse, from the yolk sac and invade the embryo. These cells settle into areas where major organs like the brain, heart, and liver will form, and they begin creating special immune cells called tissue resident macrophages (TRMs).

The TRMs that settle in the neural tube (the future site of the brain) are called microglia. These cells stay inside the developing brain region, behind a protective layer called the blood-brain barrier, that they construct. Within that space, they help build the brain by guiding the growth, placement, and connections of neurons and all the other supporting tissue and structures. Rather critically, neurons need to communicate with each other across the brain, and microglia ensure this network gets set up correctly.

More specifically, microglia initially encourage the brain to form as many connections as possible. But as the brain grows, their role shifts as they begin to refine and organize these connections, removing ones that aren’t useful. This process, called synaptic pruning, is guided by sensory inputs and other circumstances and helps the brain become more efficient and specialized based on individual experiences. It’s like trimming excess branches from a tree to help it grow stronger.

Some brain regions stop developing after a certain point, but others—like the hippocampus, which helps with memory and learning—continue to grow and change throughout life. (An interesting observation that demonstrates this is how London cab drivers, who have to learn the entirety of the Gordian knot that is the city’s roadways in order to be licensed, have substantially larger hippocampi than “normal”.)

Microglia are essential for brain development, but because they’re also immune cells, they can be affected by inflammation. When inflammation distracts microglia from their tasks, brain development can be disrupted, potentially leading to conditions like autism or schizophrenia. Even mild inflammation can impact brain development and can impact memory and learning functions in adults.

It stands to reason, therefore, that any intervention that prevents microglia from being diverted by inflammation or helps inflamed microglia return quickly and effectively to their constructive state can enhance learning. DARPA’s TNT program identified exactly that, and it’s called brain development or more specifically, non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS).

VNS using implanted devices, was already a proven medical treatment to treat drug-resistant epilepsy, refractory depression, and had even been found effective in treating obesity.  In fact, many of the provocative reports mentioned above had come from VNS patients.  Surgical implantation of a medical device to try to make soldiers smarter, however, sounded too much like The Terminator for even the military.  What they wanted was a hand-held device that was marketed as a wellness product.  Fortunately, such a device was being developed, to treat stress and enhance sleep quality, and thus, broader real-world studies began.

Just a few months ago, the latest results on the benefits of this technology were reported in Nature’s Scientific Reports.  In this study, the therapy was tested at the Defense Language Institute – where high-performing military personnel learn new languages prior to deployments.  This study found that using the nVNS for just 2 minutes, twice per day, reduced mental fatigue by >30%, enhanced focus by >40%, and improved actual recall by >50%.  The military version of the product is called TAC STIM, but the same therapy is also available to the general public as a device called Truvaga.

As amazing as all of this may seem (and it is), it pales in comparison to the final parts of this story, which are ones in which I am proud to be playing an active role.

Remember when I mentioned that inflammation can distract microglia, impacting neurodevelopment, and how that can lead to autism or schizophrenia?  Well, this same nVNS therapy is now being tested to see if it can be used during pregnancy and in early childhood to help prevent the neurodevelopmental harm that inflammation can cause, and alter the skyrocketing rates of autism and the epidemic of mental health challenges.

As remarkable as it may seem, at the other end of the developmental spectrum, nVNS is also being studied to see if it can modify neurodevelopment, not simply to protect against damage and disability, or temporarily enhance learning, but to optimize brain development permanently, e.g., deliver enhanced IQ!  Given the importance of intelligence in the modern world, the degree to which every measure of success depends on intelligence, and the fact that medical and sociological research continues to reveal the damaging impact of economically and socially disadvantaged environments on childhood cognitive growth, nVNS may provide an immediate leveling of the cognitive playing field for the next generation of American children.  That is a future worth imagining!

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JP Errico is a highly accomplished scientist with a diverse range of expertise as an executive, entrepreneur, and inventor. He is an expert on the Autonomic Nervous System. He is the Founder of ElectroCore, where he pioneered a non-invasive Vagus Nerve stimulator. JP has been credited as an inventor on over 250 issued US patents. He went to MIT for undergrad and holds graduate degrees in both law and mechanical/materials engineering from Duke University.