Category Archives: Device

tDCS – Building Research tDCS Units « SpeakWisdom

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This bubbled up today. He explores some choices he made in building his DIY kit in a series of blog posts on tDCS.

Just to see how easily it could be done, I built a couple of tDCS units for about $30 each using common parts. The meters were purchased from EBay for about $7 each and all the remaining components came from a local Radio Shack, including the case, voltage regulator, resistors, etc. The tDCS units feature a potentiometer to make it possible to adjust current for treatment specifics or pad variations.

20120902-214144.jpg
(Two tDCS units built in about 3 hours for well less than $100)

 

via tDCS – Building Research tDCS Units « SpeakWisdom.

Vincent Walsh TMS > tDCS & Migraine

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Towards the end of the video (The Daily Telegraph 2008) Professor Vincent Walsh, (now of University of California Davis) discusses tDCS and its potential for therapeutic use. Especially of interest is the information on migraine headaches:

So, some migraines are caused by having too much activity in the visual brain area, and some are by having too little activity. And we hope that this can balance out, reverse that relative inactivity in the brain.

Could this imply that one person’s migraine could be mitigated with Cathodal (-) tdcs while another’s might benefit from Anodal (+) application of tDCS? And conversely, does it imply that improper stimulation would lead to MORE migraines?

If I suffered from migraines and wanted to test tDCS, here’s where I’d start:
Check the FisherWallace  Find A Doctor search page for an electrotherapist in your area.
If they will treat you for migraine, try a few sessions. If it works, and your doctor will authorize a purchase, you can buy your own unit (for $700). A FisherWallace device may qualify for insurance coverage.

Alternately, I would monitor the ClinicalTrials.gov site and keep an eye out for new studies testing tDCS for migraine. And lastly, I would contact manufacturers of other tDCS devices and ask if they knew of any electrotherapy practitioners in your area working with migraine. Here’s my short list of manufacturers to contact:

  • Soterix Medical: Are on the cutting edge of all things tDCS and in some of their literature I have seen them mention migraine.
  • MagStim: Another medical-level producer, although I’m not sure these devices are approved for use in the U.S. yet.
  • Alpha-Stim: While they don’t advertize the use of their device for migraine, they do offer many testimonials from people who state they found it beneficial. I have not seen this company associated with any scientific studies or papers.

Anthony Lee Update

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Anthony Lee shared the results of his most recent tDCS experiments on Reddit the other night (9/8/12). Using the Cambridge Brain Science Challenge (a set of four tests), he charted his scores over a two month period, comparing results with and without tDCS applied. Check out the video, and if you have questions for Anthony, post them to his Reddit thread.

Alan Snyder and Michael Weisend on Through The Wormhole

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Ted pointed this out to me in a comment. We’ve met both Alan Snyder and Michael Weisend elsewhere on the blog. This video sums up nicely the areas they’re working in. Anyone else alarmed at the thought of there being a pressing need to fill drone pilot seats and that perhaps tDCS could cut training time in half?

Photo links to YouTube video.

Michael-Weisend-Mind-Research-Network

Michael Weisend Mind Research Network

Obviously we don’t have access to fMRI, yet. But the method Wesiend is demonstrating in the video certainly seems the way to go: Isolate the area of the brain used in the desired skill, and then apply tDCS to facilitate learning.

This is definitely a pattern-recognition type of experiment.

fMRI Showing Medial Temporal Lobe Activity

fMRI Showing Medial Temporal Lobe Activity

…When you are a novice, there’s low-level activation in the medial temporal lobes. But in experts, there’s very high-level activation. And so we targeted tDCS at these areas that increase activity in order to accelerate training. (This is context of drone pilot training)

ActivaDose Device

ActivaDose Device

electrode

Electrode

electrode harness

Electrode Harness

I need help identifying and understanding this electrode setup. Note that it’s the same electrode being used in this shot from a Scientific America article discussing the same research. If there was an electrode in the middle of the cluster, that might be the Anode and the surrounding electrodes could be Cathodes (as seems to be what is developing around HD-tDCS). But a symmetrical 5 node electrode cluster is confusing me.

Image By Richard McKinley USAF

I was trying to understand why Soterix (Marom Bikson) would be developing devices that could administer 8 channels of tDCS simultaneously. Putting the pieces of these articles, papers, and videos together, it becomes pretty clear that tDCS, used to enhance training, especially in military (DOD) contexts, could be hugely profitable.

P.S. In this study, published in the Jan 2012 issue of Neuroimage, Weisend reports using fMRI to locate optimal tDCS application area. Unfortunately, it’s behind a paywall.
TDCS guided using fMRI significantly accelerates learning to identify concealed objects.

Anodal 2.0 mA tDCS performed for 30 min over these regions in a series of single-blind, randomized studies resulted in significant improvements in learning and performance compared with 0.1 mA tDCS. This difference in performance increased to a factor of two after a one-hour delay. A dose-response effect of current strength on learning was also found.

Valkee – Transcranial Bright Light Therapy

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I discovered the Valkee today through a new press release (8/28/12) but it’s been around for some time now [lengthy rather amusing Slashdot thread from Aug. 2011].

Bright light therapy has been shown to be an effective cure for seasonal depression. New Finnish research reveals that bright light therapy, when administered through the ear canal directly to the photosensitive brain tissue, offers benefits for those not suffering from seasonal depression at all, as it improves the cognitive performance and mood of the healthy, too.

The new studies are linked to on the Valkee Evidence page.
Previous studies have shown Transcranial Bright Light Therapy to be effective in treating Seasonal Depression Disorder (SAD) but in a new study, Finnish hockey players improved their ‘motoric reaction speed’.
See Also: Stimulating brain tissue with bright light alters functional connectivity in brain at the resting state

Valkee seems to be targeted towards travelers anticipating jet lag, or those in Northern climates where winter exposure to light is limited. But the Valkee Benefits page mentions everything from PMS to ‘reduced carbohydrate cravings’.
“Valkee has CE Class II(a) medical device certification and is clinically tested.”
“Valkee currently does not ship into the US, but we will soon!” And you can sign up to be notified.Valkee Transcranial Bright Light Device

Valkee

Photo links to more Valkee marketing material.

 

TDCS-Transcranial-Direct-Current: My TDCs Experiment

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Gareth is experimenting with his own device and measuring protocol. This was his first post he recently completed his 4th experiment.

My name is Gareth Morgan Thomas. I am an electronics engineer amongst many things and am interested in cognitive enhancement.
To this end I have built a TDCs device and am awaiting my disposable electrodes which I will have in 2 days.
I will initially use the protocols for math improvement and working memory.
I also want to use drawing and art to improve my visual memory and imagination so I will use TDCs to this end also.
My objective is general intelligence enhancement.
At some point I will test my IQ and then again after various protocols.
I will utilize the curve of forgetting to reinforce the TDCs rather than just using a protocol once.
This blog is to be the journal of my experimentation.

via TDCS-Transcranial-Direct-Current: My TDCs Experiment.

More on HD tDCS From Neuralengr

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Video shows computer simulation of current distribution using ‘4 X 1 Ring Configuration (HD-tDCS)

Compared with conventional pads.

Source and more details: http://neuralengr.com/projects/tar
More from CUNY Neural Engineering Group (home of Marom Bikson)
Bio-heat Transfer model of tDCS
High Density Electrodes/Adapters
High-Density Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (HD-TES) Targeting Software Development
And this is interesting. Looks like CUNY is about to spin off another company.
Neuromatters Perhaps the brainchild of Paul Sajda.

tDCS Clinical Trials Seeking Volunteers

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There seems to be a LOT of activity going on in the medical profession around tDCS. You can monitor ClinicalTrials.gov to keep an eye on new and recruiting tdcs studies. If you start here and modify your search with your location, you may find a study in your area.

Devices mentioned in the studies:
Eldith DC stimulator (13 mentions) [Also translated from the German neuroconn.de]
Magstim Company Ltd. UK (1 mention)
Soterix tDCS device (1 mention)

8 Recruiting Brain Stimulation-aided Stroke Rehabilitation: Neural Mechanisms of Recovery

Condition: Stroke
Interventions: Procedure: tDCS: noninvasive brain stimulation;   Behavioral: Constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT);   Procedure: Sham tDCS: placebo noninvasive brain stimulation
9 Recruiting Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Chronic Pain Due to Burn Injury

Conditions: Pain;   Burn Injury
Intervention: Device: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
10 Recruiting Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in the Treatment of Tobacco Addiction

Conditions: Behavior, Addictive;   Smoking
Interventions: Procedure: sham tDCS;   Procedure: active tDCS

Mind Alive – Dave Siever

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Update: Spent a lot of time tracking down the Eldith device today and wherever I found it there was no mention of price. Dave Siever does mention the price and features in comparison to the device his company makes and I thought you might find it interesting. Not sure how much has changed since this was written.

There are presently only two stand-alone devices that produce tDCS. They are: the Eldith DC Stimulator by Neuro Conn, of Germany, which sells for €3000 (about $4,000US) and the CESta, by Mind Alive Inc., of Canada, which sells for $350US. [now $450. + accessories] Both units are current controlled and programmable. The CESta has the added benefits of providing cranio-electro stimulation and micro-electro therapy for muscle work. It also features randomization of the frequency stimulation and usage tracking for patient compliance. The CESta has been “tuned” with the electrodes provided so that at 1 ma stimulation, the active electrode delivers 50 µa/cm2, while the reference electrode produces 18 µa/cm2. This table shows the current density using various sizes at 1 and 2 ma currents.

25 cm2  5 x 5     @         1 ma     =          40 µa/cm2

25 cm2  5 x 5     @         2 ma     =          80 µa/cm2

36 cm2  6 x 6     @         1 ma     =          27 µa/cm2

49 cm2  10 x 10 @         1 ma     =          20.4 µa/cm2

You have to wonder about a tDCS device that doubles as a colloidal silver maker, but in the interest of ‘covering the field’ I wanted to post this video of Mind Alive’s Dave Siever discussing tDCS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3eAU5aXQ9E

The photos and diagrams used in the talk can be found here. Mind Alive has a large collection of tDCS related papers and articles available to download (zip file of pdfs).

Mind Alive sells a variety of devices including what I believe are called ‘Mind Machines’-devices intended to alter your brainwaves using light and sound. One of their devices, the Oasis Pro can also be used for tDCS.

10/20 System Electrode Distances

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Trans Cranial Technologies offer this manual which explains the International 10/20 system for describing the location of scalp electrodes. 10/20 System Positioning (pdf) See Also: Wikipedia, Electrode Positions

The system is based on the relationship between the location of an electrode and the underlying area of cerebral cortex. The numbers ‘10’ and ‘20’ refer to the fact that the distances between adjacent electrodes are either 10% or 20% of the total front- back or right-left distance of the skull.
Each site has a letter to identify the lobe and a number to identify the hemisphere location.

Also from Trans Cranial Technologies, Cortical Functions Reference

Brodmann Cortical Areas

 

Transcranial direct current stimulation in the treatment of depression | Medicographia

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This is the single example of the frequently sited Eldith device matched to a photo of the device. I’m not sure if perhaps neuroConn changed the name of the device, or…?

 

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

_ Mechanism of action
Contemporary tDCS protocols typically involve the application of a 1 mA or 2 mA direct current (DC) for up to 20 minutes between two surface electrodes. These may vary in size, but are commonly _35cm2 (5×7 cm). The electrodes are placed on the scalp, one serving as the anode and the other as the cathode. Current flows from the anode to the cathode, some being diverted through the scalp and some moving through the brain.15

Figure 2
Figure 2. Eldith transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
stimulator with electrodes. Photo by the author.

Figure 3

via Transcranial direct current stimulation in the treatment of depression | Medicographia.

t.D.C.S. Update Could remission be within my reach and your’s too? – NeuroTalk Support Groups

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Worth reading the whole thread. For this person with Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS is a chronic pain condition that can affect any area of the body, but often affects an arm or a leg) tDCS seems to be very effective. She mentions it having a positive effect on her Tinnitus as well. Can you imagine the impact if tDCS turned out to be beneficial in treating Tinnitus? I’d like to point out that anyone can say anything on a forum and this post feels a little ‘too good to be true’ to me.

In only one week of treating myself for twenty minutes twice a day my tinnitus has vanished, my teeth clenching due to pain is reduced, my posture is improving, my right hand is no longer clenched. I am no longer sleeping with a bungee cord attached to my wrist and the bottom of my bed to keep my arm from curling up for eight hours at a time. I am able to wear a top for up to an hour and a half. That’s right-I can’t wear anything on my upper body for any extended period of time- which means I am confined to one room of the house with a space heater, only half clothed My range of motion is improving. Yesterday I unloaded the dishwasher for the first time in three years! Typically my body is covered in bruises because of falls. Although I have bruises on my abdomen and legs from a fall prior to beginning treatment about a week ago I have not fallen since I began treatment. By evening I am usually wiped and feeling irritable so I excuse myself and take an epson salts bath. For the past three evenings my husband has enjoyed my company so much that he insists I still take the bath but he comes in the room with me.Two days ago was a most dreary raining and gray day. I looked out the kitchen door and noticed the poison ivy vine curling its way up the downspout. It had been a constant source of aggravation because I could not pull or dig it up. Suddenly is was a gorgeous orange and gold work of art. When I looked past it down the street I noticed the red and gold trees against the gray sky. The were absolutely beautiful. I had not noticed one single color of fall.

Later in the thread she gives more details about the device.

The equipment used for my original treatment at Beth Israel in NYC was an Ionto Phoresis unit by Iomed. By the time I decided to treat myself this particular unit had been discontinued. The unit I use now is advertised as the replacement unit for the Iomed model. The device is a Trivarion Activa Dose Phoresor. The wires needed are standard TENS unit wires. The electrodes are square sponge electrodes, which must be soaked in Saline solution. They are held in place with ace bandages.

Which I believe can be found here. Note that this device is not made specifically for tDCS but is, I believe, an Iontophoresis device. It has a Maximum Voltage of 80V DC! Not something to be fooling around with.

Iontophoresis (a.k.a. Electromotive Drug Administration (EMDA)) is a technique using a small electric charge to deliver a medicine or other chemical through the skin. It is basically an injection without the needle. The technical description of this process is a non-invasive method of propelling high concentrations of a charged substance, normally a medication or bioactive agent, transdermally by repulsive electromotive force using a small electrical charge applied to an iontophoretic chamber containing a similarly charged active agent and its vehicle.
via t.D.C.S. Update Could remission be within my reach and your’s too? – NeuroTalk Support Groups.