Brain stimulation by using non-invasive technology is a segment of the neurotechnology field. There are a variety of recent tools that researchers have increasingly begun to use to modulate brain functioning without the need for drugs. Scientific researchers have recently been testing out a relatively new technology named transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to change mental functioning. The general idea behind this technology is that you hook up electrodes to certain areas on your head and allow a very slight 2 millamp current to go through. By using a
brain diagram researchers can precisely position the electrodes on the head. This may seem very similar in principle to electroshock (ECT) but in actuality it is really quite different than that treatment.
Electroconvulsive therapy always requires a person to recieve anaesthesia and it gives the brain a giant 600 millamp buzz that creates a seizure. Electroconvulsive therapy has a drastic affect on the functioning of the whole brain. tDCS, though, is a tool which is much more accurate. It only adjusts the part of the brain that is right under the electrode that is close to your skull. The electrode attached to the anode part of the 9 volt battery can upregulate neuron activity while the electrode connected to the (-) cathode decreases neuron firing. So certain brain parts can be very selectively deactivated or activated when shocked with tDCS.
Scientists have found that in healthy volunteers if they put the positive anode sponge electrode next to an area of the brain named the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDPFC) they can increase that person's ability to spontaneously name a list of new words. tDCS can also enhance working memory and ameliorate the symptoms of depression when that very same region of the brain is excited. Scientists have performed one study on patients with major depression already with promising preliminary results. tDCS has also been used to alter the perception of pain, so tDCs may eventually become a beneficial treatment for people who currently have unmanageable pain. tDCS has several other uses. tDCS can modulate the desire for certain foods when stimulating the DLPFC. It can also , improve spatial tactile acuity, improve naming in aphasia, decrease risk taking behavior and enhance language performance when targeted at certain regions of the brain.
tDCS as a treatment modality is very useful. There are quite a few benefits to utilizing tDCS. A good aspect about transcranial direct current stimulation is that it is less expensive to use than transcranial magnetic stimulation. It can be used when a person is wide awake and fully concious, so this allows you to perform brain stimulation on yourself assuming you know what you are doing. The disadvantages to using tDCS is that it is only able to activate brain areas that are close to your head, it can't stimulate inner brain regions. It is also quite a bit less selective in its targeting accuracy when compared to transcranial magnetic stimulation.
It may be years before researchers will be able to say for sure whether this technology is actually worthwhile or not. However, tDCS definitely holds a ton of promise for treating many mental illnesses.
See my blog illinois brain injury lawyer and gene therapy for more information.
