Let us pick your brain

How close are we really? [Healthline]( [Wellness Wire]( IN a nutshell Hi friends, and happy solstice! Depending on which hemisphere you’re reading this from, it’s either the shortest day of the year or the longest. No matter where you are, I hope you’re ready to read about brain implants. Professional attention-getter Elon Musk recently gave a presentation on this futuristic tech, prompting lots of eyebrow-raising from experts. So we enlisted the help of a professor of neurology to help us understand the current state of brain implant technology. We’ll also be serving up scoops of news about: • [a new virtual therapy format for young people]( • [one celebrity’s apple-sized ovarian cyst]( • solstice traditions • [more health stories you need]( Stay sharp, Ginger Wojcik Newsletter Editor, Healthline Written by Ginger Wojcik December 21, 2022 • 6 min read [Where are we at with brain implant technology, really?]( what’s got us buzzing [Where are we at with brain implant technology, really?]( Elon Musk recently gave a presentation where he showed footage of two monkeys moving mouse cursors with their thoughts. The demo spurred a new wave of interest in brain-computer interfaces, a technology that’s been in the works for the last 20 years. (Plus, a surge of [skepticism]( toward Musk, whose company Neuralink is under federal investigation for potential animal welfare violations, according to [Reuters](.) But what are these devices and why are they being developed at all? Brain implants are sensing and/or transmitting electrode(s) that are surgically placed in the brain to monitor and modify brain activity, says James Giordano, PhD, Professor of Neurology at Georgetown. But slow down those sci-fi fantasies. The aim isn’t to give healthy people superpowers (yet). The current body of research regarding brain implants is focused on treating [spinal injuries]( and the symptoms of neurological disorders such as [ALS](, [Parkinson’s disease](, and [Tourette syndrome](. According to Dr. Giordano, brain implants can also be used to treat: - [treatment-resistant depression]( - [obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)]( - [chronic pain]( Don’t let Musk’s knack for media coverage fool you, either. He didn’t invent brain implants. Research has been chugging along for decades. For example, the team at [BrainGate]( published their first paper on the subject in 2004. And a couple of years after that, [news broke]( about a paralysis survivor who was able to control a computer with his thoughts. (Although the hardware used in that study was prehistoric compared to what’s being used now). tl;dr: Elon Musk is in the news again for a presentation he gave on brain implant technology being developed by his company Neuralink. Brain implant research has been active for over 2 decades, with the main focus on helping people with brain and spinal injuries and disabilities. Neuralink is also being investigated for animal welfare violations. great finds Editor faves with health perks You know those great finds you just *have* to tell your friends about? That’s how we feel about the products we recommend here. Every pick has been [vetted by our editorial team](, and we genuinely think it’ll make your life better. [Fitbit Charge 5]( [Fitbit Charge 5]( Believe it or not, there was a time when you went for a run and didn’t immediately know how many steps you took or calories you burned. I know, barbaric! Now [fitness trackers]( like the Fitbit Charge 5, which is on my wrist as I write this, can give you more real-time health data than you ever knew you needed. While I love the thrill of surpassing 10,000 [steps a day](, my favorite feature by far is the sleep tracker. It lets me know how much time I spend in each sleep cycle and how many times I wake up during the night. The sleep nerd in me can’t get enough. The Charge 5 tracks like a million other things, too, like irregular heart rhythm, menstrual cycle, and blood oxygen levels. Take a look [here]( yourself. [Shop now]( say what Look who’s talking [“I have a cyst on my ovary the size of an apple. I don’t have endometriosis or PCOS [polycystic ovary syndrome] but I have gotten an ovarian cyst a few times and it’s never fun.”]( – [Hailey Bieber]( Model Hailey Bieber recently got real on Instagram about her experience with an “apple-sized” [ovarian cyst](. Bieber revealed that she has recurring ovarian cysts, which are fluid-filled sacs that can develop on your ovaries. Typically, ovarian cysts are harmless and go away on their own in a few weeks. In rare cases, they can cause [serious complications](. [Can a new type of virtual therapy help fill the gap in mental health care?]( Wednesday Kickstart [Can a new type of virtual therapy help fill the gap in mental health care?]( Could hours of daily virtual therapy reduce self-harm and symptoms of depression and suicidality? It just might, according to a [recent study](. Researchers measured the outcomes of 495 people who went through a virtual intensive outpatient program (IOP). Some promising results included: • 71% decrease of suicidal ideation • 60% decrease in depression symptoms • 58% decrease of self-harm “Virtual IOP successfully delivers treatment without sacrificing [the] essential components of connection and community, since it can be accessed from the comfort of home,” says Dr. Caroline Fenkel,  LCSW. “Traditional inpatient programs aren't able to deliver this same level of involvement and participation due to barriers related to transportation, scheduling, and a lack of personalization.” The research comes at a time when the U.S. could use some new avenues of mental health support. In 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General compiled a meaty [report]( and the evidence was overwhelming: [young people are in crisis](. Among the tableau of data points is a [51%]( increase in hospital visits for suicide attempts for young women and a [doubling]( of anxiety and depression symptoms since before the pandemic. If you or someone you know is self-harming, you can contact a crisis counselor [here](. The [988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline]( can also help you find a trained professional in your area. health stories you need What we’re reading next [] [Which supplements actually improve heart health?]( A new meta-analysis of 884 trials found that certain micronutrients may benefit heart health. However, many do not. [Silly distractions at work can help you focus, according to science.]( Researchers say exerting constant self-control can be draining and get in the way of our productivity. [People are drinking Pepsi with milk — here’s what experts think.]( The “dirty milk” trend has been around for a while, but is it any healthier than just drinking soda? [Why are some people still being forced to go into the office?]( In this podcast from Psych Central, an expert on the psychology of business decisions weighs in. you’re up A yoga teacher of mine recently talked about how few rituals remain in secular American society, beyond those related to marriage and birth. She noted that our culture is unique in that way; that throughout history and across cultures, humans have always passed down and found meaning in rituals. The winter solstice strikes me as a prime example of our lack of ritual. What could be more relevant to everyday life than the positioning of the sun? And yet, many people in the United States will go to sleep tonight without knowing that today the sun is [directly over]( the Tropic of Cancer and tomorrow marks the beginning of the return of sunlight (or in the southern hemisphere, the receding of sunlight). So, for today’s poll, I want to hear about the rituals in all of your lives. We want to know: What are the rituals by which you live your life? Do you honor the winter solstice in a structured way? Share with us at wellnesswire@healthline.com. (Please note that we may use your name and response in an upcoming edition!) Thanks for reading and shoutout to reader Wendy K., who may have one of the most inspiring sleep routines we’ve ever come across. Our sleep environment consists of: A very cold room, a great mattress, soft fleece sheets and blanket, black-out curtains no lights, a heated mattress pad. We wear sleep socks, listen to sleep meditations with the APP Insight Timer (my favorite Jennifer Piercy and Richard Miller yoga Nidra meditations), take 400 ML of magnesium glycinate and 5 ML of melatonin an hour before bed with a warm mug of oat straw tea. Until next time, [healthline]( Take care of yourself, and we’ll see you again soon! 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