What is the purpose of brain research?

Longer answer

Neuroscience is a multi-disciplinary scientific field. It encompasses a wide range of disciplines such as biology, psychology, medicine, chemistry, physics, informatics and more, that are all used to understand the nervous system and the brain. These fields are all trying to solve the puzzle. To name a few examples, some neuroscientists are researching the characteristics of individual brain cells or neurons, others are looking into the chemical reactions that play a role in the brain, yet others are studying the electrical properties of brain signals, and to conclude, there is much research being done to see which functions, such as language or memory, are being processed in which area of the brain. Beyond that, there is much research done into the consequences of brain dysfunctions; what happens when something goes wrong in the brain. The well-being and coexistence of people is an important goal of neuroscience.

Because it is such a big field of research, there will be different scientists with differing motivations. For instance: Barbara Franke is the head of department of Cognitive Neuroscience at the RadboudUMC and she writes: “The question ‘What is the purpose of brain research?’ is very broad, and there are many possible answers. I work at a university medical centre and, for me, the answer is very obviously tied into the improvement of quality of life for people with brain disorders. For quite a few brain disorders, clinics can do very little to help these patients – consider, for instance, psychiatric disorders. It is often concluded that we do not understand the cause nor the (biological) mechanisms underlying such afflictions. Brain research can help us uncover more about these mechanisms and, from there, develop effective therapies.”.

If we take a closer look we can discern the following goals:

Understanding: Brian research is trying to figure out how our brain works. It helps us learn which brain areas are involved in which functions. Each area of the brain has its own purpose; thought, touch, movement and emotion are all being generated from their own area in the brain. This knowledge helps us understand the more complex functions of the brain; self-awareness, making choices, remembering things and moving our body, just to name a few.

Insight into illnesses and disorders: Barbara Franke mentioned the psychological disorders earlier. These disorders exact a heavy toll on the patient due to the extreme negative consequences for themselves and those around them, but also upon the society as a whole due to the cost. Brain research is needed to understand the physical and mental consequences when something goes wrong in the brain. Aside from the psychiatric problems such as schizophrenia, depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder, there are a slew of other important diagnoses. Children are sometimes already born with a genetic mutation such as Down Syndrome or suffer from autism or ADHD due to an abnormal development in the brain. In life, all kinds of unpleasant things can occur that could damage the brain, such as a car accident, a stroke that blocks the blood supply, a brain infection, or even a tumour growing in the brain. Not to mention, our brain deteriorates as we age. General aging is unpleasant, but it gets more problematic when someone ends up with Alzheimer’s disease or some other neurodegenerative disease. These are only a few examples of the wide spectrum of brain disorders, and all these disorders have different consequences to the brain’s functions.

Prevention: If we know the cause of a certain disorders, and which factors play a role, we can follow up with a prevention program. These may vary from information campaigns, to reducing exhaust fumes, to forbidding the use of certain chemicals. This is the most efficient way to improve the health of a population.

Diagnosis: Since these consequences to our general functioning are not only dependent on which brain disorder someone has, but also vary withing a group of people with the same disorder, it is crucial to map out the physical (think of walking or writing), mental (think of seeing, speaking and reading, memory, etc.) and emotional (think of depression or aggression) consequences. For this you need advanced diagnosis. Which is why we keep developing better methods. Think here of microscopic research into the brain tissue and MRI imaging techniques (from which we can determine if there are any problems in perception, memory, language or thinking).

Development of treatments and therapies: Good diagnosis leads us, in turn, to discovering new treatments. The study of the brain helps develop treatments for neurological problems. These treatments can consist of medicine, operations or therapies such as physical therapy, speech therapy and sessions with a psychologist. They improve the lives of the people suffering from these disorders.

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI’s): this type of brain research creates external machines to communicate with different areas of the brain. With these devices, patients with difficulty walking or talking can, once more, regain control of their body.

Source : Donders Societal Impact

Learning and improving education: Learning about how the brain processes new information and stores it can help improve education. It helps the teaching body to come up with effective teaching methods to help the students learn better.

Human improvement: Figuring out how the brain works can help us find ways to improve our thinking and our senses. This can improve people’s performance and eventually their lives.

More information:

Engels: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroscience

Nederlands: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurowetenschap