【Animal Experiment】-Brain Stimulation Technology Turns Defeated Mice Into Victorious Generals

  According to foreign media reports, building a super soldier is like a conspiracy seen in a science fiction movie. However, scientists have recently succeeded in turning shy and fragile mice into powerful "victorious generals" by stimulating the brain regions of the mouse's brain that control the "sweeping" movement. The mouse is a social animal, and male rats establish a hierarchy of power within their species by exhibiting aggressive behavior. However, these acts of aggression take many forms. The Hu Hailan research team at Zhejiang University used the so-called "test-tube method" to determine which mice are dominant. Since there is not enough space in the pipe, the mouse pushes the other side away to lift from the pipe. The "winning" of this main game depends on which mouse pushes the opponent sideways.

  The research team wrote in this article: "The winning mouse has more presses, and each press takes longer." The winning mouse is not as powerful as the losing mouse. It only attacks. Intense sex. The researchers also found that in the brains of the winning mice, brain activity was found in a cluster of neurons called the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). This part of the brain is related to "hard work" and "social control". Mice with weaker medial forehead area will always be lost in the game. The research team speculated whether it is possible to artificially create "long-lived" mice by stimulating the medial medial prefrontal cortex. Therefore, they used a technique called "optogenetics" to use protein and light to stimulate the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex of weak mice. Then, test tube tests were performed on stimulated mice and skilled mice. As a result, the previously defeated Mouse quickly became very ferocious, pushing his opponent aside and winning almost all the games.

  This survey deserves further consideration. First of all, we must not only fight for social status competition related to social status, but also have an enterprising spirit to win. Second, it is not clear whether the technology can be applied to other animals or humans. The mouse brain is very similar to the human brain, but the human brain is much more complicated. Therefore, it is impossible to turn a shy person into a violent robot through a simple brain implant.

  Perhaps more interestingly, the researchers found that as long as they stimulate their brains more than six times, these mice can permanently become generals. "After experiments, I realized that not all mice can restore their original characteristics." said Hu Hailan, a neuroscientist at Zhangjiang University. "Some mice will restore their original form, but the department has the upper hand." This phenomenon is called "winning." "The player effect", if the probability of winning increases, as long as you win, you will win one after another.

  Technically speaking, the "winner effect" is a product of "neuroplasticity". In other words, the neural connections in the brain are constantly changing. Every time the mouse wins after stimulation, the structure of the brain changes slightly. After doing it over and over again, the mouse got used to becoming aggressive in the game. Light stimulation is not the only method. Animals can "reset" the brain through experience and learning. However, the effect of brain stimulation is obviously fast.

  Currently, this study is only valid for mice. But in the future society, this technology may help people build confidence at the right time to overcome social fears. The technology can also be used to create a very aggressive super army. I don't know the consequences of these practices.