The Two-Brains Hypothesis: Towards a guide for brain-brain and brain-machine interfaces.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biophysics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Advances in brain activity signaling and brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are rapidly evolving.
• Noninvasive techniques like electroencephalography (EEG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) show potential for brain information transfer.
• The underlying mechanisms, particularly electromagnetic induction in the central nervous system (CNS), remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the transfer of motor intention between two remote humans using noninvasive EEG and TMS.
• To investigate the potential role of electromagnetic induction in brain-to-brain communication.
• To highlight the implications of the novel Two-Brains Hypothesis (TBH) for understanding CNS function and BCI.

Main Methods:

• Recorded human motor intention signals using noninvasive EEG at the scalp.
• Transmitted these signals as repetitive TMS (rTMS) to the motor cortex of a remote individual.
• Applied TMS with a circular magnetic coil at a maximum intensity of 2.0 T.

Main Results:

• Successfully transferred digitalized motor intention information into the central nervous system (CNS) of a remote individual.
• Induced intended hand movements in the recipient through TMS, demonstrating brain-to-brain information transfer.
• This represents the first documented instance of transferring motor intention and its expression between two remote humans.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a proof-of-concept for noninvasive brain-to-brain communication of motor intention.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms, including magnetic induction, involved in this process.
• The Two-Brains Hypothesis offers a framework for re-evaluating CNS function and advancing brain-computer and brain-robot interfaces.