▁brain ▁and ▁various ▁aspects ▁of ▁conscious ness , ▁thought , ▁and ▁higher ▁order ▁activities ▁in ▁the ▁brain . ▁It ▁also ▁includes ▁techn ologies ▁that ▁are ▁designed ▁to ▁improve ▁and ▁repair ▁brain ▁function ▁and ▁allow ▁research ers ▁and ▁clin icians ▁to ▁visual ize ▁the ▁brain . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁field ▁of ▁ne uro techn ology ▁has ▁been ▁around ▁for ▁nearly ▁half ▁a ▁century ▁but ▁has ▁only ▁reached ▁m atur ity ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁twenty ▁years . ▁The ▁advent ▁of ▁brain ▁imag ing ▁revolution ized ▁the ▁field , ▁allowing ▁research ers ▁to ▁directly ▁monitor ▁the ▁brain ' s ▁activities ▁during ▁experiments . ▁Ne uro techn ology ▁has ▁made ▁significant ▁impact ▁on ▁society , ▁though ▁its ▁presence ▁is ▁so ▁common place ▁that ▁many ▁do ▁not ▁realize ▁its ▁u bi qu ity . ▁From ▁ph arma ce ut ical ▁dru gs ▁to ▁brain ▁sc anning , ▁ne uro techn ology ▁affect s ▁nearly ▁all ▁industrial ized ▁people ▁either ▁directly ▁or ▁indirect ly , ▁be ▁it ▁from ▁dru gs ▁for ▁de pression , ▁sleep , ▁ADD , ▁or ▁anti - ne uro t ics ▁to ▁cancer ▁sc anning , ▁stroke ▁re h abil itation , ▁and ▁much ▁more . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁field ' s ▁depth ▁increases ▁it ▁will ▁potentially ▁allow ▁society ▁to ▁control ▁and ▁har ness ▁more ▁of ▁what ▁the ▁brain ▁does ▁and ▁how ▁it ▁influ ences ▁l ifest yles ▁and ▁personal ities . ▁Common place ▁techn ologies ▁already ▁attempt ▁to ▁do ▁this ; ▁games ▁like ▁Bra in Age , ▁and ▁programs ▁like ▁Fast ▁For Word