Neuroscience, the study of the nervous system, is a field of study introduced less than a century ago by Harvard Medical School. It concerns the brain, neural experiments, and key aspects of medical public policy. Through modern medicine, the human lifespan was extended to almost double its traditional capacity. In modern times, studies are ongoing in an attempt to increase the lifespan of humans even further. This provoked advancements in medical public policy, as the world was forced to adapt to the introduction of diseases that kill humans in the latter stages of their lifetime, including Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal disorders, and dementia.
As a young field of study and with an urge for longer human lifespans, neuro-medicine and neurotechnology are in major demand across the world. However, not everyone can afford neurological care. In particular, poorer countries in Africa and South America do not have the financial capacity to purchase medical supplies for their citizens as they have to concentrate resources on basic industry. However, organizations such as the World Health Organization and the World Federation Of Neurology assist many of these countries, supplying them with the medical supplies needed. These humanitarian actions help not only to improve the public policy of countries by allowing assistance for the benefit of citizens but also countries themselves in their quest to rise in power despite being in a world dominated by Western countries.
Although there are medications to help people fight many neurological diseases, there is no cure as of yet for multiple disorders due to how new the field of study is. However, research is actively being done to combat these issues. Through the use of MRIs and EEGs, neurologists are able to study the anatomy of the brain and the brain’s neurons in further detail. Through these studies, doctors are able to monitor the activity of the brain in different compartments, such as where disorders affect the brain the most. Through this neurotechnology, scientists have been able to detect tumors in specific parts of the brain in short amounts of time. Technology has improved so much in such a small amount of time that neurologists can now pinpoint exactly where a tumor or any other sign of cancer forms.
These advancements sound very promising for the future of humanity and neuro-medicine, even in underdeveloped countries. However, there is currently a major problem with this technology. A regular MRI machine on average costs almost $8 million, aside from annual fixing and repairs where even turning the machine on and off in emergency scenarios can cost millions. Many countries lack the financial flexibility to be able to afford to spend such sums on medical technologies crucial for people with neurological disorders to survive. Luckily, organizations are trying to still help this technology reach countries in need of it. This is done through non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which assist in funding the distribution of medical technology solely for the benefit of humanitarian causes such as treating medical conditions.
In addition to the limited cost of funding technology, brain research itself can be very costly, often requiring billions of dollars of funding. Though there are donors of money to neurological research, in many parts of the world, many people cannot afford the sums of money required to run experiments. Doing research or lab work with the brain is also much more difficult than stem cell research. This is because the body contains highly studied pathways that have been under research for over a century. Compared to neuroscience, the study of the body has a much longer lineage than that of neurons or brain research. This is why brain research, while much more costly, is also necessary to find cures for neurological disorders.
Another big problem in the implementation of neuro-medicine to the public is that it takes time for certain drugs to be legally allowed to be used as medicine. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) takes time to administer drugs to the public, which prolongs the time needed to distribute the medicine to areas across the world, in turn leading to more lives lost.
To understand neurology and the study of the brain more, neurologists often refer to psychology, or the understanding of the behavior of the brain, two very similar fields of study. Both areas often benefit from each other’s clinical trials and experiments. Through anatomical differences, psychologists can predict the behaviors of humans, and vice versa with neurologists. The behaviors and anatomical structures of peoples’ head shapes and brains throughout the world intersect these two fields of study and lead to discoveries that mutually benefit them.
In the status quo, neuroscientists are running multiple clinical tests and experiments to find patterns and learn more about the human brain and ways to solve neurological disorders. Examples of these experiments would be on rats, flies, or smaller creatures with similar specific functions of the brain to humans, simulated to emulate real life. The ultimate goal of neuro-medicine is to combat neurodegenerative disorders and make neurotechnology accessible throughout the world, increasing the human lifespan for the betterment of humanity.
Note: This article was written by Krishay Sharma, and edited by Sohan Sahay
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