The electrical signals could, in the not too distant future, allow us to treat people with heart problems or diabetes
(by Giovanni D'Agata) At this time, when we are sick, our doctor usually prescribes drugs. But electricity could, in the near future, become a real cure for some health problems. How would that be possible?
It's simple: absolutely everything we do - moving, running, thinking and even dreaming - is controlled or regulated by electrical signals. In fact, small impulses pass through our nervous system, transmit information and allow us to make complex decisions. The center of our body's electrical activity is found in the brain: it is the central nervous system. Injuries to the nervous system, which often lead to irreversible paralysis, demonstrate how important these electrical signals are. If we could find a way to decode and write electrical signals, emphasizes Giovanni D'Agata, president of the “Rights Desk”, that is, to understand the language of the nervous system, we could then “control” the body.
For example, an implanted device might be able to fill the void left by a spinal cord injury. We could also ask the pancreas to produce more insulin or increase or decrease heart rate without drugs. Luigi Galvani was one of the first scientists to understand that electricity could play a role in the functioning of living beings. In 1791, he managed to shake the frogs with electricity. Two centuries later, bioelectronics has become a very active research field. If electricity does not replace conventional medicines, in the not too distant future, it will certainly complete their action.