Ethical Issues in Research with Invasive and Non-Invasive Neural Devices in Humans | NIH

Thursday, October 26, 2017. Deep dive (7 hours!) long form, state of the art discussion of neurostimulation by leading experts. More about the Neuroethics Division of the BRAIN Multi-Council Working Group

Sarah Lisanby, director of the division of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) opens the workshop (very interesting, great slides) after introductions at 0:14, Anna Wexler speaks at 2:25.

Permalink to video https://videocast.nih.gov/launch.asp?23553

Roster

  • Co-chair Christine Grady, MSN, PhD, Chief, NIH Department of Bioethics
  • Co-chair Hank Greely, JD, Stanford Law School (MCWG member)
  • Winston Chiong, MD, PhD, University of California, San Francisco
  • James Eberwine, PhD, University of Pennsylvania (MCWG member)
  • Nita Farahany, JD, PhD, Duke School of Law
  • L. Syd M Johnson, PhD, Michigan Technological University
  • Bradley Hyman, MD, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital (MCWG member)
  • Steve Hyman, MD, Broad Institute
  • Karen Rommelfanger, PhD, Emory University
  • Elba Serrano, PhD, New Mexico State University (MCWG member)
  • Khara Ramos, PhD, NINDS – Neuroethics Division Executive Secretary and NIH liaison

 

Halo Sport Test for Guitar – the Conclusion | TomboLP Youtube

In the spirit of fairness, I’m posting this musician’s experience of using the Halo Sport for guitar training. Unlike Mario and his piano experience, this fellow, TomboLP, ultimately found no added benefit, though in earlier videos (this is the part 5 of 5) he was excited by what he assumed were positive results.

This is the last video in my test of the Halo Sport. As I didn’t reach the goals I set for myself in the time allotted and feel that there were no gains that couldn’t be otherwise explained by practice, I have now returned the headset. Even though the product didn’t work out for me, I will say that the return process was very straightforward and hassle-free.

Can You Use Electricity to Supercharge Your Brain? | Hank Green

Wow! No less than Hank Green ( of the Vlog Brothers) covering tDCS on his SciShow Psych! He sounds a little skeptical! So we have that in common. I pretty much agree with Hank’s perspective, just a couple of thoughts I’d like to share.

Most companies (but not all) know better than to make claims about tDCS. They know they have to be careful making claims of benefits. So where you see a company making a claim, they are most likely basing the claim on legit science. But are the benefits replicable in your situation? Hank refers to the (science) literature as ‘messy’ and he’s right, with different labs coming to opposite conclusions using basically the same experiment protocols.

Hank characterizes the basic function of tDCS as being a training session for neurons. Over time, with repeated stimulation, those neurons will start to fire more. While this is a legitimate description of the approach some research takes, I think a better way to think of it is that tDCS makes it easier for neurons that are already inclined to fire, to do so. As in- you’re focused on a “Where’s Waldo” task, and with the proper stimulation, the task is easier to do, because the targeted neurons have less resistance to firing.

Anthony’s Back!

This video is no longer available because the YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated.

We saw a lot of Anthony Lee and his tDCS experiments back around 2012-13. He popped up on YT recently and I’m happy to share his update.

The device he mentions near the end of his video is the Chattanooga Dual-Channel Iontophoresis Device which is also available at Caputron.

Transcranial Electrical Stimulation: A Stimulating Discussion of Current Research

In the third section of his talk (around 30 minute mark), Dr. McConnell discusses an experiment they are working on that uses EEG to monitor sleep, and according to their protocol, turn on a TES device (tACS-like) in order to induce slow wave EEG activity. The practical application is improved memory consolidation in Alzheimer’s patients. Very interesting!

Published on May 14, 2017 Neurology Grand Rounds 3 May 2017 – Transcranial Electrical Stimulation: A Stimulating Discussion of Current Research.

Brice McConnell, MD, PhD
Instructor/Fellow, Neurology
University of Colorado

DIY tDCS YouTube Catch Up

If you follow the blog you’ll know I’m not savvy enough in the ways of electronics to know a well-constructed DIY circuit when I see it. I’ve generally depended on the Reddit crowd to sort through the pros and cons of DIY tDCS circuit design. Now that there are a handful of professionally developed and readily available devices on the market, I’m not seeing as many DIY projects, but here’s a couple that popped up on Youtube in the last week or so.

DIY tDCS Secrets Revealed! Brain Hacking stancurtin


tDCS DIY Device Tutorial NeuoHacking

Brain Stimulation | AirmanMagazineOnline

  Published on Mar 13, 2017
Dr. Andy McKinley is the leader of the Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) Team in the Cognitive Performance Optimization Section, Applied Neuroscience Branch, Warfighter Interface Division, Human Effectiveness Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
AirmanMagazineOnline Youtube Channel
See Also: Super SEALs: Elite Units Pursue Brain-Stimulating Technologies (Military.com)

Zapping Your Brain at Home to Cure Fatigue | The Atlantic

Using remote rehabilitation to administer tDCS to MS patients.
Zapping Your Brain at Home to Cure Fatigue

Each day for two weeks, Bennett would don a headband equipped with moistened sponges and attached to what she called a “big cellphone”—a tDCS stimulator. When she was ready to start the session, a clinician would give her a four-digit code to enter on a keypad, and the current would surge through the wires and into her brain.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined With Computer Games At Home Reduces Cognitive Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
More about Supervised Neuromodulation: Soterix mini-CT

Brendan Morgan Omni Stimulator (For Depression) Review

Stumbled upon this device today, the Omni Stimulator, which seems to be mostly sold in Australia. That lead to this video where Brendan Morgan makes the case for the use of tDCS in the treatment of his depression. Again, I am not advocating the use of tDCS for the self-treatment of your depression. I’m simply collecting evidence, clinical and anecdotal, and making it available. That said, I know that if I myself were experiencing depression, I would be experimenting with tDCS. Especially in light of the fact that the efficacy of treatment of depression with SRRIs remains controversial, tDCS would definitely seem to be worth a try. [Highly recommended, Science VS podcast episode #11 Antidepressants.]

Memory Test | BBC One

Memory test
Featuring Swansea University researcher Claire J. Hanley Lucy Owen explores a new way of improving her memory. Will she score better at a memory test once her brain has been stimulated by electromagnetic impulses?

>@clairejhanley What would you call that montage?
Claire J. Hanley @clairejhanley
@DIYtDCS the montage used was position T7 (anode)/T8(cathode) from the 10-10 system

Why DIY?

Market forces, the for-profit bias that imbues every aspect of health care in America, skew R&D towards solutions and products that are highly profitable. That’s one of the reasons I was so curious about tDCS. You can do it at home. It doesn’t cost a fortune. My initial curiosity was inspired by research papers that seemed to indicate the potential for cognitive enhancement, primarily memory and learning. Many papers later, I’m not so sure, but where it comes to tDCS and depression I’m much more confident. There does seem to be an overwhelming amount of both research and anecdotal evidence to support the use of tDCS in depression. If that were better known, perhaps someone like the woman featured in this NBC news clip would have had somewhere to turn when she was denied coverage for continuing TMS treatment for depression.

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