According to the New York Times, through a number of different studies, a type of brain stimulation caused by a mild electric current shows promise as a potential treatment for major forms of depression. For this new form of therapy called trans-cranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), it uses low level charges that are also used in electroshock treatment. tDCS, unlike electroshock treatment, is given to the conscious patient for up to 20 to 30 minutes .
The way tDCS works is for two electrodes called an anode and a cathode to be placed on the head, where it will stimulate the resting nerve cells of the brain. here, it will help those nerve cells become more effective in communicating with other nerve cells, thus helping depression.
1. Science is Collaborative; Multiply scientists, such as Dr. Andre Brunoni and Dr. Matthew Rudorfer exchange findings and results from experiments to draw a conclusion.
2. Science is Subject to Debate and Tentative; Only a few humans, such as Michael Donnelly, have been tested with tDCS. As a result, it is tentative as to whether tDCS will work for all depressed people.
3. Science is Based on the Role of Motivation and Curiosity; Scientists were curious as to whether or not there was a more efficient and healthier alternative to electroshock treatments.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/11/promising-depression-therapy/
Adrianna Tan
Hour 3
How interesting! I wonder if this therapy has any other benefits besides helping with depression. Perhaps it could stimulate concentration and other cognative abilities. Here is an article I found that says this kind of treatment allowed test subjects (in this case US snipers) to have better reflex time and learn things faster. It also improved patient's pain threshold by 39%! Now how awesome would that be?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.extremetech.com/extreme/144627-dont-try-this-at-home-researchers-use-tdcs-to-release-your-brains-strongest-opioid-painkillers
I found this very interesting! I researched what brain stimulation was and I found it can be used for many other things like neurological problems, epilepsy, and cluster headaches. I think that with the continuation of research this will prove to be a helpful tool in helping people with these problems.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/deep-brain-stimulation/MY00184
This is very interesting, because after looking into it more, I found that apparently it can be used to help all kind of mental problems, not just depression. I also read that it can be used to do things such as improve concentration. I wonder if one day we will all be wearing hats all the time that are electrocuting our brains.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aipass.org/files/TDCS_State%20of%20the%20art.pdf
This article is definitely helpful to therapists and neurologists. It is amazing that passing an electric current through your brain could cure depression so quickly. I found this article about another brain simulation called electroconvulsive therapy. This is when an electric current is passed through your brain and causes a small seizure. It changes some of your brain chemistry and can dispose of symptoms of depression.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/electroconvulsive-therapy/MY00129
What's really great about this is that it works even after it's stopped being administered. This site shows a BOLD MRI (blood oxygen level) scan before and after tDCS stimulation. The right column (after) shows a significant increase in brain activity while voluntarily tapping fingers, which shows the effectiveness in relieving symptoms of depression.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.trans-cranial.com/howitworks/effectsonthebrain