Tongue zapper for brain stimulation | CBC Quirks & Quarks

[Update 9/15/19] Revisiting the PoNS, Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator Device, which stimulates the tongue, after listening to Robert J. Marks interview Dr. Yuri Danilov on the Mind Matters News podcast episode Accelerating Neuroplasticity-How Natural Brain Healing Can Be Accelerated Using Stimulation.

The device is already being used at clinics in Canada for treatment of chronic balance deficit due to mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury, and is to be used in conjunction with physical therapy.

The device is manufactured by Helius, who are in the process of re-submitting to the FDA for clearance in the U.S.

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Tongue zapper for brain stimulation CBC Quirks & Quarks

In clinical studies, the PoNS device coupled with targeted functional therapy induces cranial nerve noninvasive neuromodulation (CN-NINM). Therapy consists of targeted physical, occupational and cognitive exercises, based on the patient’s deficits. (The PoNS™ Device from Helius Medical)

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Non-invasive neuromodulation to improve gait in chronic multiple sclerosis: a randomized double blind controlled pilot trial
Is Your Tongue The Key To A Neuroscience Breakthrough?

Halo Neuroscience Launches ‘Halo Sport’

Update 2/29/16. Halo Neuroscience launched the Halo Sport via ProductHunt. Details of the device are discussed in the comment section and includes input from CEO Daniel Chao and CTO Brett Wingeier. In a Medium article industrial designer Matty Martin talks about the challenges developing the Halo Sport. And, though not (yet anyway) peer reviewed, Halo Neuroscience has published the results of a few studies they’ve completed with the Halo Sport. Especially I found interesting Bihemispheric Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation with Halo Neurostimulation System Over Primary Motor Cortex Enhances Fine Motor Skills Learning in a Complex Hand Configuration Task (pdf).

halo-sport

We looked at Halo Neuroscience back in 2012, Halo Neuroscience – Amol Sarva, and knew they’d been testing a device for the last year. Today they announced the release of the Halo Sport which uses ‘neuropriming’ to increase athletic performance. At $549 it’s the most expensive neuro-device to come to market. It seems the target buyer is a high-end athlete.

Clicking on the get button takes you to two offers:

HALO SPORT PRO:
AVAILABLE TODAY
Halo Sport Pro is part of a service package designed for elite teams, trainers, and performance organizations.

and

HALO CHAMPIONS PROGRAM:
LIMITED CONSUMER RELEASE
Train like the pros. Be the first to pre-order Halo Sport and receive $200 off. Ships Fall 2016.

So I guess we’re in buzz-building mode, and the device will become available for anyone in the fall at around $349.

Follows is a clip from today’s Newsweek article. Click through to full story below.

As intriguing as the sports applications are, they only hint at what Halo might become. Chao says he will seek FDA approval to market Halo’s device as a way to help stroke victims recover their physical capabilities. And then, he says, a different version of Halo, which would send pulses into another part of the brain, will be able to improve memory and mental processing, giving users an advantage at work or school. At one point, he tells me some of Halo’s tests show it can “roll back cognitive aging by 25 years.” (He later seems to regret saying that, explaining that he prefers to stay focused on the sports applications.)

Halo Claims to Make You Jump Higher, Think Faster, Remember Longer

Nathan Looks At The Braindriver

Nathan, who is our resident expert (and moderator) over at the tDCS Subreddit (you might recall his review of the Focus v2 device) just took a good look at The Braindriver. You can find the full review here.

Thync Announces Sleep Vibe

This is could be a game changer. Announced today on the Thync mailing list. New vibe available for download.

Today, after a full year of clinical sleep studies, we are thrilled to announce a sneak peek of our latest research.20160223thyncSleepAnnounced

After 1 week of using our new Good Night Vibe, our participants reported:

  • Improved sleep quality similar to 4 weeks of meditation or 8 weeks of melatonin
  • Reduced mid-night awakenings
  • Improved morning mood & alertness
  • Reduced anxiety & stress

…And the cherry on top?

The same Good Night Vibe that we used in our clinical testing is now available in the Thync app for you to use!

So go ahead – run your own sleep study: Try out the Good Night Vibe for a week, and let us know what you think!

 

Enhanced Training Through Neurostimulation | HRL Laboratories

What if becoming an expert pilot were as simple as putting on a cap?

That’s the lead-in line on the following video entitled: Enhanced Training Through Neurostimulation presented by HRL Laboratories.  (@HRLLaboratories)

The video is based on the Feb. 9, 2016 study, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Modulates Neuronal Activity and Learning in Pilot Training

The researchers featured in the video, post-docs Jaehoon Choe and Matthew Phillips work for HRL Laboratories. Did they know the PR dept. was going to take their interviews and inject them with awesome graphics and all sorts of hyperbole? Is it marketing capitalizing on research, or research capitalizing on marketing?

I plan to dig deeper into this story and update as more info emerges and I get a better understanding of the study.