Human tests have been carried out on a mind-bending new device planted deep in the brain, which could lead to a new generation of 'smart' medical implants that can be re-programmed after they have been installed.

The new development is straight from the pages of science fiction, with some proponents saying it could be the first step to integrated human-computer interfacing.

An implant has been designed by a company in the US which can record neural activity while it simultaneously delivers electric current, the device can also adjust its electrical output in response to the changing conditions of the brain. Experts say the increased level of control and automation will significantly change the way people with devastating neurological and psychological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, dystonia, and treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder, are treated.

Neurosurgeon and researcher for the medical device company Medtronic, Dr Joseph Neimat says: “Everything that is on the market today is a one-way stimulator...the devices don’t record or respond to a patient. What would be better would be to have a system that could anticipate or read a patient’s state and respond with an appropriate stimulus.”

The two-way control of implants is seen as the start of a new approach to implanted medical treatments. The designers say with reactive devices; treatments and responses can be tailored to the specific person and conditions, as well as respond to a changing environment in a much more fluid manner than previous methods.

Further details on the new device or human trials so far are available from Medtronic.