

Inside the Strange New World of DIY Brain Stimulation - fraqed
http://www.wired.com/2014/05/diy-brain-stimulation/

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ters0n
Approach with caution. The products coming out of this research at the moment
(e.g. foc.us) are run by quacks. Just like those energy drinks that contain
neurotransmitters (first-pass metabolism anyone and the blood-brain barrier
render them useless), this is highly unlikely to cause any improvement in
memory, reaction time or general cognition in the healthy individual.

tDCS and rTMS are blunt tools that broadly excite and inhibit the underlying
networks by disrupting neuronal local field potentials. tDCS may be effective
in treating diseases such as Parkinson's where there is a deficit in the
modulation of a specific brain area, but this is wholly removed from enhancing
a healthy subject's cognitive abilities, particularly when the electrodes
appear almost randomly placed.

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amolsarva
Agree about caution

Not sure those folks are quacks

But this is indeed a very promising field with powerful technology

\- co-founder with five other neuroscientists of this company -->
HaloNeuro.com --> drop us a line and get involved in our clinical trials if
you are interested in this topic around SF or NY

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goodbyegti
The electric field for stimulation threshold is typically quoted as 100V/m.
There's no chance of achieving that within the brain using the 9V battery and
skin contact approach!

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TTPrograms
That's sort of the idea. Triggering stimulation would be akin to electro-shock
therapy. The idea as I've seen it stated is to apply slight voltages that
inhibit or encourage normal firing.

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iamsalman
"the electric thinking cap that makes you cleverer … and happier!”

Wonder what possible side effects it may have? The brain would complain if
it's being stimulated without "consent"...

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id10t
TL;DR: It doesn't work. Now is anyone surprised by this? Did anyone not expect
this? Well you should have. Because it had bullshit written all over it from
the start.

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amirmc
That is not an accurate TL;DR. The DIY crowd report highly subjective
improvements but the scientists are still in the early days of research (with
one even ripping to shreds his _own_ work when he discovered fundamental
flaws). Some scientists are worried that the DIYers might push this into
'kook' territory and thus give a negative impression to the real research,
which many believe has promise.

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id10t
Bloodletters reported high subjective improvements back when it was the fancy
new magic treatment.

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Jach
And yet, after modern medicine took over, researchers found there are cases
when bloodletting is the appropriate treatment.
([http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemochromatosis/training/treatment...](http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemochromatosis/training/treatment/phlebotomy_treatment.html))

