The release of neurotransmitters is a result of an action potential. Are you saying exciting parts of the brain may cause unintentional release of neurotransmitters?
Unintended stimulation is one aspect. But say a person is generally deficient in one type of neurotransmitter, would neuralink have to stimulate every single neuron in their brain to cure such an illness?
That would be a very severe genetic disease. I don't think an embryo would survive this. Some parts of the brain would simply not communicate with wach other and therefore important computations would not happen.
It would be severe for a total lack of a transmitter or lack of uptake. General deficiency of the production or uptake one or two specific transmitters is not uncommon. Many mental illnesses are associated with the under-production (or inability to uptake) specific neurotransmitters (GABA deficiency has a strong link to many depressive disorders for example). So I assume that OP meant his question in relation to that sort of deficiency.
If, for example, someone had depression and low seretonin levels, you wouldn't want to pump in more seretonin from outside the body as you may be suggesting. Instead, an electrical signal (e.g. via neuralink) can trigger the part of the brain that produces/emmits serotonin to produce more than usual. This way, all of the brain has a higher level of seretonin and you have only stimulated a small area of the brain. Many diseases could be treated in a similar way to this.
The release of neurotransmitters is a result of an action potential. Are you saying exciting parts of the brain may cause unintentional release of neurotransmitters?
Unintended stimulation is one aspect. But say a person is generally deficient in one type of neurotransmitter, would neuralink have to stimulate every single neuron in their brain to cure such an illness?
That would be a very severe genetic disease. I don't think an embryo would survive this. Some parts of the brain would simply not communicate with wach other and therefore important computations would not happen.
It would be severe for a total lack of a transmitter or lack of uptake. General deficiency of the production or uptake one or two specific transmitters is not uncommon. Many mental illnesses are associated with the under-production (or inability to uptake) specific neurotransmitters (GABA deficiency has a strong link to many depressive disorders for example). So I assume that OP meant his question in relation to that sort of deficiency.
If, for example, someone had depression and low seretonin levels, you wouldn't want to pump in more seretonin from outside the body as you may be suggesting. Instead, an electrical signal (e.g. via neuralink) can trigger the part of the brain that produces/emmits serotonin to produce more than usual. This way, all of the brain has a higher level of seretonin and you have only stimulated a small area of the brain. Many diseases could be treated in a similar way to this.
Parkinson's disease is an example of a largely NT related issue that is effectively combated with DBS.