Brain Stimulation
The research on brain stimulation is advancing so quickly, and the findings are so puzzling, that a reader might feel tempted to simply pre-order a genius cap from Amazon, to make sense of it all later - The Economist
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Crossing the brain’s electrical frontier
The stent is a commonplace miracle. Every year millions of people around the world have their coronary arteries enlarged and reinforced by these life-saving little expandable tubes of mesh. The elect club of those who have had their whole worlds enlarged by “stentrodes”, on the other hand, numbers just three...
The stentrode is not inside the grey matter of the brain, interacting directly with neurons: it remains in the blood vessel. But its electrodes pick up the electrical goings-on around them, and over time the patients can learn how to think thoughts that the computer takes as commands. Used in concert with systems that track eye movements the stentrode allows them to interact…
Resources
Firing Up the Neural Symphony
Scientists are racing to treat brain disabilities with electrical stimulation.
Improve Memory by Zapping Your Brain? Study Says It’s Possible
Noninvasive stimulation improved recall of spoken words in older adults who participated in a series of experiments.
Electrical stimulation of the brain: the benefits of the short, sharp shock
ECT has had a bad press. But new techniques in electrical stimulation of the brain could soon be treating a range of conditions - and improving our cognitive skills.
A Better Way to Zap Our Brains
New research suggests that stimulating neurons in the brain can address psychological issues with surprising speed and precision.
Brain Stimulation Shows Promise in Treating Severe Depression
For more than a decade, doctors have been using brain-stimulating implants to treat severe depression in people who do not benefit from medication, talk therapy or electroshock sessions. The treatment is controversial — any psychosurgery is, given its checkered history — and the results have been mixed.
Electrical brain stimulation could boost benefits of stroke rehabilitation
Research indicates that transcranial direct current stimulation (tCDS) during rehabilitation therapy might help stroke patients recover more movement.
Everything to Know About Brain Stimulation Therapies for Mental Health
The five main types of brain stimulation therapies used to treat mental illness are electroconvulsive therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, deep brain stimulation, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, and magnetic seizure therapy. Let’s explore what they are, how they work, and their potential risks.
Hacking your brain
With a DIY bundle of electronics or a ready-made device it is possible to stimulate the brain. But does it work and is it safe?
Neuralink put a chip in Gertrude the pig’s brain. It might be useful one day
So we are not yet at the point where Neuralink’s device puts us on the cusp of being able to improve memory or attention, or to use our brains to send a hands-free message to your partner’s phone. But the device might help us towards exciting steps such as restoring the ability to talk, or move a wheelchair or robotic arm using signals from the brain. And for people in those situations, any incremental progress is very promising.
Researches Show Efficacy Of Personalized Brain Stimulation In Psychiatric Treatments
Two new studies show the potential of personalized brain stimulation to treat psychiatric disorders. The approach delivers pulses of electric or magnetic energy to certain areas in the brain.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Brain Stimulation Therapy
Among the far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been restricted access to safe and effective forms of psychiatric treatment. Focusing on electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation, we review the pandemic's impact on brain stimulation therapy by asking 3 fundamental questions—Where have we been? How are we doing? And where are we going?
What Is Brain Stimulation?
There are lots of different forms of brain stimulation (each with its own confusing acronym), and enough conflicting research and news reports on the subject to make your head spin.
What Is Electric Brain Stimulation And Should You Try It?
Promising therapy or dangerous DIY Brain hack.
Crossing the brain’s electrical frontier
New ways of getting inside patients’ heads.
NIMH
Brain stimulation therapies can play a role in treating certain mental disorders. Brain stimulation therapies involve activating or inhibiting the brain directly with electricity. The electricity can be given directly by electrodes implanted in the brain, or noninvasively through electrodes placed on the scalp. The electricity can also be induced by using magnetic fields applied to the head. While these types of therapies are less frequently used than medication and psychotherapies, they hold promise for treating certain mental disorders that do not respond to other treatments.
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