Author Archives: John

Electric “thinking cap” controls learning speed

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From Vanderbilt University Research News. This article got a lot of traction this week. I would be very curious to see the results of the same study with tDCS applied at the time the tests were being given (rather than before). I’ve heard this described as ‘online’ testing.
Interesting to see Mind Alive’s Oasis Pro device being used clinically.

Reinhart and Woodman set out to test several hypotheses: One, they wanted to establish that it is possible to control the brain’s electrophysiological response to mistakes, and two, that its effect could be intentionally regulated up or down depending on the direction of an electrical current applied to it. This bi-directionality had been observed before in animal studies, but not in humans. Additionally, the researchers set out to see how long the effect lasted and whether the results could be generalized to other tasks.

Brain zap rouses people from years of vegetative state – – New Scientist

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Wow! This is significant.

TALK about an awakening. People who have been in a minimally conscious state for weeks or years have been temporarily roused using mild electrical stimulation.
Soon after it was applied to their brains, 15 people with severe brain damage showed signs of consciousness, including moving their hands or following instructions using their eyes. Two people were even able to answer questions for 2 hours before drifting back into their previous uncommunicative state.

“I don’t want to give people false hope – these people weren’t getting up and walking around – but it shows there is potential for the brain to recover functionality, even several years after damage,” says Steven Laureys at the University of Liège in Belgium, who led the research.
People with severe brain trauma often fall into a coma. If they “awaken”, by showing signs of arousal but not awareness, they are said to be in a vegetative state. This can improve to a state of minimal consciousness, where they might show fluctuating signs of awareness, which come and go, but have no ability to communicate.
External stimulation of the brain has been shown to increase arousal, awareness and aspects of cognition in healthy people. So Laureys and his colleagues wondered if it would do the same in people with severe brain damage. They used transcranial direct current stimulation tDCS, which doesn’t directly excite the brain, but uses low-level electrical stimulation to make neurons more or less likely to fire.

via Brain zap rouses people from years of vegetative state – health – 26 February 2014 – New Scientist. See Also: Waking up from a coma

Stanford Law School tDCS Survey

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Background: I was contacted by a Stanford researcher about the survey via email. She got my contact information from Nick Fitz http://ubc.academia.edu/NicholasFitz whose interest in tDCS relates to the ethics of cognitive enhancement. While I don’t know the ultimate purpose of the survey, I know that it associates with Stanford professor Hank Greely who “…specializes in the ethical, legal, and social implications of new biomedical technologies, particularly those related to neuroscience, genetics, or stem cell research.” Certainly the notion of community includes researchers and scientists. In that most of us will be reporting 0 side effects, I can see how it could be beneficial to have Stanford-level researchers armed with good and correct information. I don’t see a downside and encourage participation.

They’ve done their homework!
Please select the tDCS device you bought (You can choose more than one):
FOC.US headset
tDCS Transcranial Stimulation Kit (www.trans-cranial.com)
tDCS device kit (tdcsdevicekit.com)
Oasis Pro (www.mindalive.com)
Dynatron ibox Iontophoresis Delivery Device
Chattanooga Ionto™ Iontophoresis System
Activa Dose II Contoller Ionto Device
The Biocurrent Kit
The DC-Stimulator (www.neuroconn.de)

As the first systematic study on DIY tDCS user community, the goal of this research is to understand what is happening in this community, and more specifically to know about current patterns of usage and users’ thoughts on effects and safety of tDCS. I believe that this research will provide a precious opportunity to collect the voice of DIY tDCS user community.

Do you want to share your experiences with DIY tDCS?

Stanford University Law School is now conducting a research study on the DIY tDCS user community. We’d love to know about who you are, why you are using tDCS and what your thoughts and concerns, if any, are regarding this special device. We believe that this research will provide a precious opportunity to collect the voices of DIY tDCS users.

Please click the following link to participate in an online survey on your tDCS experiences!
https://stanforduniversity.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9HN1EKmcwkiK9Ap

Beauty and the Brain | Spark with Nora Young | CBC Radio

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A little zap to the brain may improve the way you feel about a picture. Neurologist Zaira Cattaneo is the co-author of a new study called The world can look better: enhancing beauty experience with brain stimulation. For the experiment, Zaira and her fellow researchers stimulated the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to see if that would enhance the experience of beauty. The results? Listen to her full interview with Nora now!

via Beauty and the Brain | Spark with Nora Young | CBC Radio.
Or read/download the full paper: The world can look better: enhancing beauty experience with brain stimulation

Jump-Starter Kits for the Mind – NYTimes.com

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Yes, the promise of tDCS and yet… having just listened to 6 or so hours of leading edge tDCS science I’d have to say we are actually farther away from the dream of simple and easy cognitive enhancement than when I first became interested. Things like… What if 2mA doesn’t have twice the effect of 1mA, but has an entirely different effect altogether? What if the differences in the shapes of people’s heads renders any notion of standard current flow a ludicrous idea? What if most of the experiments on which we base our understanding of tDCS were poorly designed and in fact don’t tell us anything like what they say they do? Did you know that the standard tDCS dose of 1-2mA was a ‘historical accident’? Certainly the questions are becoming finely focused and it does look to me like some very smart scientists are highly motivated to get a better understanding of what exactly is going on. Stay tuned!

Whether it’s hitting a golf ball, playing the piano or speaking a foreign language, becoming really good at something requires practice. Repetition creates neural pathways in the brain, so the behavior eventually becomes more automatic and outside distractions have less impact. It’s called being in the zone.

But what if you could establish the neural pathways that lead to virtuosity more quickly? That is the promise of transcranial direct current stimulation, or tDCS — the passage of very low-level electrical current through targeted areas of the brain. Several studies conducted in medical and military settings indicate tDCS may bring improvements in cognitive function, motor skills and mood.

Jump-Starter Kits for the Mind – NYTimes.com.

NYC Neuromodulation 2013 Conference – November 22-23

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NYC Neuromodulation 2013 brings together pioneers and emerging innovations in Transcranial Electrical Stimulation. Cutting edge research, clinical trials, and techniques are introduced in a dynamic and interactive format. Learn how the field developed to its current state and the outlook for the next five years. Technologies covered include transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS), transcranial Random Noise Stimulation (tRNS), and High-Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS). Topics covered include design of clinical trials, integration with monitoring technologies (EEG), and deployable technology. Frequent opportunities to interact with speakers and attendees, sponsor exhibits, two large poster sessions, two panel discussions, social events and a certification course provide plenty of networking, educational, investment and collaboration opportunities.

Home: NYC Neuromodulation 2013 Conference.

SpeakWisdom | Wisdom for the Leading Edge of Life

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Brent Williams shares his vision for the future of tDCS…

I have been reading studies, attending training, experimenting with, and writing about transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for about two years now.  Needless to say, I am enthusiastic about what tDCS can do for many people who use it for depression, chronic pain, enhanced creativity, and memory. It may also may have positive effect for other important conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s – there are certainly studies that show that to be the case.

Given that it has positive effect on many who try it, it could improve the quality of life of millions of people around the world. All of this without drugs, without the cost of drugs, and with no significant side-effects.

With all the great things I’ve learned about tDCS, I thought I’d share a little of my tDCS Wish List for the next five years:

In The Next Five Years I Wish That:

every appropriate medical practitioner (and counselor) would at least become aware of tDCS. A treatment this good, this simple, this safe, with so much positive effect should not be overlooked. It should be a tool in the kit of considered-treatments for every practitioner

SpeakWisdom | Wisdom for the Leading Edge of Life

tDCS clinical research – recent highlights: Pain

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The developers of Starstim, Neurolectrics, have a blog where they frequently discuss tDCS (and EEG). Here’s a snippet from their latest on tDCS & pain. Hit the link below to their full article.

Is transcranial current stimulation tCS, including direct current, tDCS, alternating current, tACS, or random noise stimulation tRNS effective? Now that is a good and difficult question! Let me try to review recent developments. In a recent post I provided an overview of tCS in Stroke. Here I do the same but for Pain. Please let me know if you think I am missing some important one! I have relied on Google Scholar and also PubMed to carry out the search, including the terms of tDCS, tACS, tRNS as well as Pain since 2012 and till Sep 2013.

via tDCS clinical research – recent highlights: Pain.

Summit on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation UC-Davis Sept. 5, 2013 Videos

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The ‘current’ state of the art! Thanks UC Davis for sharing! http://www.youtube.com/user/UCDavis

Dr. Marom Bikson, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at The City College of The City University of New York, discussing the cellular mechanisms of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) at the Summit on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain.


Dr. Vince Clark, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of New Mexico, speaking on the role of tDCS in cognitive enhancement in a talk at the Summit on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain.


In this talk at the Summit on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain, Dr. Roy Hamilton, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses a range of clinical applications of the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) technique.


Dr. Michael Nitsche, a pioneer in the field of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) from the University of Goettingen in Germany, speaking about the physiological basis of tDCS at the Summit on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain.


Dr. Dylan Edwards of the Burke Medical Research Institute, speaking on the role of tDCS and robotics in human motor recovery in a talk at the Summit on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain.


Dr. Vincent Walsh of University College London, discussing the current evidence for and against the role of transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) in improving cognition at the Summit on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain.

Wright State Research Institute hires nationally recognized neuroscientist Michael Weisend « Wright State University

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The Wright State Research Institute has hired renowned neuroscientist Michael Weisend, Ph.D., as a senior research scientist. Weisend is a pioneer in the application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which applies electricity to specific areas of the brain to enhance learning.

“We’re thrilled to have Mike join our team,” said WSRI Director Jason Parker, Ph.D. “His research is truly profound and has the potential to transform human performance and healthcare. He’s an excellent addition to the group of talented neuroscience researchers at Wright State and the Research Institute.”

via Wright State Newsroom – Wright State Research Institute hires nationally recognized neuroscientist « Wright State University.

tDSC Papers of Note April 2013

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Regional personalized electrodes to select transcranial current stimulation target (pdf)
…with the present work we developed a procedure to properly shape the stimulating
electrode.
Regional-personalized-electrodes-to-select-transcranial-current-stimulation-target
(The familiar looking square electrodes were the reference electrodes.)
Tags: electrodes, tACS

The Sertraline vs Electrical Current Therapy for Treating Depression Clinical StudyResults From a Factorial, Randomized, Controlled Trial (pdf)
At the main end point, there was a significant difference in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale scores when comparing the combined treatment group (sertraline/active tDCS) vs sertraline only, tDCS only, and placebo/sham tDCS… There were 7 episodes of treatment-emergent mania or hypomania, 5 occurring in the combined treatment group.
Tags: depression

Noninvasive transcranial direct current stimulation over the left prefrontal cortex facilitates cognitive flexibility in tool use (pdf)
The results support the hypothesis that certain tasks may benefit from a state of diminished cognitive control.
And a related news story discussing the same paper.
Brain hacking: Electrifying your creative side
Each person was shown pictures of everyday objects and asked to come up with a new uses for them.
The group which received the TDCS muting the left prefrontal cortex was better in coming up with unusual uses than the others — and did it faster.
Tags: creativity, Sharon Thompson-Schill, cathodal stimulation,

 Orchestrating neuronal networks: sustained after-effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation depend upon brain states (pdf)
Long lasting after-effects foster the role of tACS as a tool for non-invasive brain stimulation and demonstrate the potential for therapeutic application to reestablish the balance of altered brain oscillations.
Tags: tACS

Different Current Intensities of Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Do Not Differentially Modulate Motor Cortex Plasticity (pdf)
targeting M1 …10 minutes of anodal tDCS at 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2 mA
These results suggest that the aftereffect of anodal tDCS on facilitating cortical excitability is due to the modulation of synaptic mechanisms associated with long-term potentiation and is not influenced by different tDCS intensities.
Tags: M1, dosage

Transcranial direct-current stimulation increases extracellular dopamine levels in the rat striatum (pdf)
Following the application of cathodal, but not anodal, tDCS for 10 min, extracellular dopamine levels increased for more than 400 min in the striatum. There were no significant changes in extracellular serotonin levels.
Tags: dopamine

Spark of Genius: A new technology promises to supercharge your brain with electricity. Is it too good to be true?
Surprisingly good pop-sci overview of where we’re at with tDCS. Chock full of relevant links.

Using computational models in tDCS research and clinical trials (pdf)
Hypothesis: Appropriately applied computational models are pivotal for rational tDCS dose selection.
Tags: Comptational modeling, Marom Bikson,

Boosting brain functions: Improving executive functions with behavioral training, neurostimulation, and neurofeedback  (pdf)
This review provides a synopsis of two lines of research, investigating the enhancement of capabilities in executive functioning: a) computerized behavioral trainings, and b) approaches for direct neuromodulation (neurofeedback and transcranial electrostimulation).
Tags: cognitive enhancement

Focal Modulation of the Primary Motor Cortex in Fibromyalgia Using 4×1-Ring High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS): Immediate and Delayed Analgesic Effects of Cathodal and Anodal Stimulation (pdf)
We found that both active stimulation conditions led to significant reduction in overall perceived pain as compared to sham.
Tags: Fibromyalgia, HD-tDCS, Marom Bikson, pain

Concerns and Considerations From The Neuroscience Perspective

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Probably you’ll want to skip to around 8:30 where Dr. Davis begins to discuss the use of tDCS in healthy people for the purpose of enhancing cognition and motor skills. He and Dr. Pascual-Leone  go on to discuss their concerns around DIY tDCS, especially the possibility that, for instance, while one aspect of cognition may be enhanced, another may be depressed.

Would TDCS make me smarter? – Mary H K Choi – Aeon

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One of the first things I notice about TDCS is that it’s like being able to set an appointment for a power nap. Time goes by at an unbelievable clip. Twenty minutes is a long time just to sit near someone blinking at you, so Fugedy leaves the room. He gives me a big gold Salvation Army bell so I can alert him when the 20 minutes are up. When he comes back into the room, I think he must have forgotten something. It feels like only five minutes, but it turns out 19 have already passed. I’m even slightly annoyed, as if I’ve been interrupted.

TDCS sort of feels like you’re about to fall asleep while knowing that you won’t completely conk out. My breathing slowed way down, and I started to feel cold. I was so relaxed, I couldn’t imagine having to shoot a gun like Sally Adee. I don’t know what ‘flow’ feels like but my thoughts became jumbled. I often daisy-chain absurd thoughts to entertain myself as I drift into sleep but this was different. I felt like I had no control over the remote.

via Would TDCS make me smarter? – Mary H K Choi – Aeon.
With the most valuable bit of info in the comments from Mrd about the montage he uses for his bipolar disorder…

What I currently do which involves suppressing the area between p4 and t4 while activating the left motor cortex or Wernickes area which means the current goes across from one side of the brain to the other has worked very well. I compliment this with using the typical montage for depression on alternate days.. I have found that I no longer need to do these as much probably due to neuroplasticity.

Prof. Marom Bikson of The City College of New York lecture at the Harvard Medical School tDCS course on tDCS dose and mechanism

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Published on Aug 19, 2013
Prof. Marom Bikson of The City College of New York lecture at the Harvard Medical School tDCS course on tDCS dose and mechanism. Topics include High-Definition tDCS (HD-tDCS), TDCS in children and in stroke, targeting, and optimization. CCNY link http://neuralengr.com/ HD-tDCS link http://soterixmedical.com/hd-tdcs