Bacomics: a comprehensive cross area originating in the studies of various brain-apparatus conversations

Dezhong Yao; Yangsong Zhang; Tiejun Liu; Peng Xu; Diankun Gong; Jing Lu; Yang Xia; Cheng Luo; Daqing Guo; Li Dong; Yongxiu Lai; Ke Chen; Jianfu Li

doi:10.1007/s11571-020-09577-7

Bacomics: a comprehensive cross area originating in the studies of various brain-apparatus conversations

Cogn Neurodyn. 2020 Aug;14(4):425-442. doi: 10.1007/s11571-020-09577-7. Epub 2020 Mar 17.

Authors

Dezhong Yao^{1

2

3

4}, Yangsong Zhang^{1

2

5}, Tiejun Liu^{1

2

4}, Peng Xu^{1

2

4}, Diankun Gong^{1

2

4}, Jing Lu^{1

2

3}, Yang Xia^{1

2}, Cheng Luo^{1

2}, Daqing Guo^{1

2

4}, Li Dong^{1

2

4}, Yongxiu Lai^{1

2}, Ke Chen^{1

2

4}, Jianfu Li^{1

2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731 China.
² School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731 China.
³ School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001 China.
⁴ Sichuan Institute for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Chengdu, 611731 China.
⁵ School of Computer Science and Technology, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010 China.

Abstract

The brain is the most important organ of the human body, and the conversations between the brain and an apparatus can not only reveal a normally functioning or a dysfunctional brain but also can modulate the brain. Here, the apparatus may be a nonbiological instrument, such as a computer, and the consequent brain-computer interface is now a very popular research area with various applications. The apparatus may also be a biological organ or system, such as the gut and muscle, and their efficient conversations with the brain are vital for a healthy life. Are there any common bases that bind these different scenarios? Here, we propose a new comprehensive cross area: Bacomics, which comes from brain-apparatus conversations (BAC) + omics. We take Bacomics to cover at least three situations: (1) The brain is normal, but the conversation channel is disabled, as in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The task is to reconstruct or open up new channels to reactivate the brain function. (2) The brain is in disorder, such as in Parkinson's disease, and the work is to utilize existing or open up new channels to intervene, repair and modulate the brain by medications or stimulation. (3) Both the brain and channels are in order, and the goal is to enhance coordinated development between the brain and apparatus. In this paper, we elaborate the connotation of BAC into three aspects according to the information flow: the issue of output to the outside (BAC-1), the issue of input to the brain (BAC-2) and the issue of unity of brain and apparatus (BAC-3). More importantly, there are no less than five principles that may be taken as the cornerstones of Bacomics, such as feedforward and feedback control, brain plasticity, harmony, the unity of opposites and systems principles. Clearly, Bacomics integrates these seemingly disparate domains, but more importantly, opens a much wider door for the research and development of the brain, and the principles further provide the general framework in which to realize or optimize these various conversations.

Keywords: Bacomics; Brain development; Brain disorder; Brain reactivation; Brain–apparatus conversation (BAC).

Publication types

Review