Neuroscientists at the University of Pennsylvania have used a combination of brain-scanning and feedback techniques to train subjects to move a cursor up and down with their thoughts. The subjects could perform this task after just five minutes of training.

The researchers achieved that by designing a new system of whole-brain imaging and pairing it with an algorithm that lets them determine which regions of the brain are most centrally involved in a certain thought process, instead of using signals from the whole brain.

They plan to develop specialized tasks to figure out how to apply this to addiction and other disorders.