In her talk, Rust recounted how researchers spent decades envisioning brain disorders in terms of linear causes and effects \u2014 what she called \u201cdomino chains\u201d of faulty genes to neuroanatomy to dysfunction. Their goal was simply to \u201cfind the broken domino and fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a result, researchers spent their time looking for single genes and magic-bullet cures, making precious few breakthroughs. Many current medications were first developed in the mid-20th century. And they remain the state of the art because few better alternatives have come along in the intervening years despite billions spent on research.<\/p>\n
In the early 1990s, researchers identified a genetic mutation associated with Alzheimer\u2019s disease and its signature symptom, the accumulation of amyloid plaques. Scientists raced to develop amyloid-clearing drugs, but those turned out to have only modest benefits (and harmful side effects), and the disease remains uncured.<\/p>\n
By the second decade of this century, many researchers and funding agencies were voicing their frustration with the pace of advance.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe story I want to tell you is ultimately optimistic because I really do think that we are on the cusp of some amazing breakthroughs following new developments in artificial intelligence and biotechnology.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Rust quoted Thomas Insel, former director of the National Institutes of Mental Health, who lamented that during his 13-year tenure the agency funded $20 billion in research and made many exciting discoveries, yet somehow all that yielded few improvements for patients.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think we moved the needle in reducing suicide, reducing hospitalizations, or improving recovery for the tens of millions of people who have mental illness,\u201d said Insel.<\/p>\n
But now, Rust noted, modern neuroscience is re-envisioning its approach, moving \u201ctoward thinking about the brain as a complex adaptive system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Disorders such as schizophrenia are not products of single genes but hundreds of genetic variants. Moreover, many of these variations regulate other genes, adding more layers of intricacy.<\/p>\n
Even when accounting for all the genetic mutations, researchers remain unable to predict which people will develop disorders and which will not. As Rust wrote, \u201cIf we want brain research to be impactful, we must stop dreaming of magic bullets and embrace complexity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese dynamic systems are infamously hard to control in meaningful ways,\u201d he told the audience. \u201cCase in point: We cannot control the weather.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luckily, these realizations are dawning just as we are developing powerful new tools such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.<\/p>\n
For example, AlphaFold, an AI system developed by Google DeepMind, solved one of the most complex issues in biology: the \u201cprotein folding problem.\u201d Essentially, the program was able to predict the 3D structure of nearly every known protein, based on amino acid sequences.<\/p>\n
Such successes provide hope for similar breakthroughs in brain disorders.<\/p>\n
Now, Rust believes, science is ready to understand the brain as a dynamic, adaptive, self-regulating system, and make real progress in deciphering our most enigmatic organ.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe story I want to tell you is ultimately optimistic,\u201d she said, \u201cbecause I really do think that we are on the cusp of some amazing breakthroughs following new developments in artificial intelligence and biotechnology.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rust noted that she initially didn\u2019t feel that way. But through writing the book, she gained historical perspective and came to understand brain research as part of the typical scientific process.<\/p>\n
She likened current work to the quest to measure temperature in the 17th century, a period of iteration when tools and questions improved through trial and error.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started this book project as kind of a personal journey,\u201d Rust said. \u201cI started pessimistic as a brain researcher, because I could not see the through line between what we were doing and what society needs from us. And I ended up optimistic. \u2026 I understand why treating some brain and mental conditions is so incredibly formidable. I believe that for the first time in history, we\u2019re ready to face those challenges head-on.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s time to change our minds about our brains. That was the key message neuroscientist Nicole Rust brought…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":164677,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[275],"tags":[12924,359,159,18,135,475,474,19,17,167,172],"class_list":{"0":"post-164676","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-a-i","9":"tag-books","10":"tag-brain","11":"tag-eire","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-health-care","14":"tag-healthcare","15":"tag-ie","16":"tag-ireland","17":"tag-mental-health","18":"tag-research"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115498514163397886","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164676\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=164676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=164676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}