A small portable tDCS device would be safe, effective and easy to use, according to Dr. Marom Bikson, associate professor of biomedical engineering at CCNY. “We developed this technology and methodology in order to get the currents deep into the brain,” said Bikson. “You can walk around with it and keep it in your desk drawer or purse. This is definitely the first technology that operates on just a 9-volt battery and can be applied at home.”
Bikson foresees tDCS units as tiny as an iPod that patients can use every day to ward off attacks. A consumer-ready portable tDCS device is still years away, since large clinical trials would be needed.
In a pilot study conducted by Bikson, repeated tDCS sessions reduced the duration and pain intensity of migraine attacks by about 37 percent. Increasing improvements were noted after four weeks of treatment and the positive effects lasted for months. A mild tingling sensation during the electrical brain stimulation treatment was the only side effect.
“There’s something about migraine pain that’s particularly distressing,” said Bikson. “If it’s possible to help some people get just 30 percent better, that’s a very meaningful improvement in quality of life.”
Bikson says tDCS seems to reverse changes in the brain caused by repeated migraine attacks, including greater sensitivity to headaches triggers. He believes a patient could use a portable TDCS system every day to ward off attacks.
via Electrical Brain Stimulation Eases Migraines Without Drugs | American News Report.
I’m not a doctor and haven’t even played one since second grade, but…
Is it specifically for migraine that you’d be interested in trying tDCS? There have been a few studies, but it’s still early as far as concrete evidence. If you can find a practitioner in your area that would be your best bet – a physician familiar with the device and applying electrotherapy. Look for a doctor that can administer CES (Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation, which is how these devices are FDA approved) therapy. Some insurance will cover CES. That said, there is one device I know that is on the market and which has testimonials from migraine sufferers. That’s the Alpha-Stim, http://www.alpha-stim.com If you put ‘migraine’ in their search box you’ll find the testimonials. But at $600 that’s an expensive experiment! I’d also suggest you try starting a ‘tDCS for migraine’ thread at http://www.reddit.com/r/tDCS/ Best, and keep me posted.
Is this device currently on the market? If not, where could I try it?