Research conducted by experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center shows that a pig’s brain can function outside the body for up to five hours, thanks to an innovative device created by a team of scientists. This cutting-edge technology allows the brain to be separated from the body using a high-tech artificial pump to maintain blood flow to the brain.

The system, which is the result of recent developments, allows you to precisely regulate the composition and flow of blood by mimicking natural blood circulation. This is achieved thanks to a computer algorithm that monitors blood pressure, blood flow volume, heart rate, temperature, oxygen saturation level and nutrient availability.

The experiment was carried out on the brains of pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus), and their brain activities were monitored through continuous electrocorticography and deep brain electrodes after being connected to the device.

During five hours of observation of the isolated brain, the researchers did not find any changes in its activity or other parameters.

D.D., the study’s leader and professor of neurology, pediatrics and physiology at UT Southwestern. Juan Pascual said that this innovation opens new horizons for studying the brain independently of the body and allows a deeper dive into the examination of the brain’s brain tissue. physiology.

The technology’s developers emphasize the potential of this technology to study brain functions without affecting the body, as they have already demonstrated its effectiveness in studying the effects of low blood sugar on the brain, which are difficult to study under normal conditions due to the body’s compensatory reactions.

Additionally, Dr. There is interest in applying this technology as a cardiopulmonary bypass system during heart surgery and transplants, as evidenced by a patent filed by Pascual.

This group of researchers is not pioneering the idea of ​​separating the brain from the body. Other scientists had previously experimented with separating the heads of monkeys and dogs.

The prospects of this line of research create new opportunities for understanding brain processes and potentially change our approach to neurological research. This could lead to the development of new methods of treating brain diseases, as well as methods of resuscitation and organ transplantation.

Although this idea seems like something out of science fiction novels where brains are stored in special containers, modern developments make such a scenario increasingly realistic. Thus, research that allows the brain to work outside the body not only expands the boundaries of our understanding of brain physiology, but also opens new horizons for future medical research and potential applications. Source