Posted 08.10.2009 at 1:23 pm
5 Comments
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Device
via Medgadget
An Israeli company wants to keep adults focused using a magnetic field to stimulate the brain. The technique, called transcranial magnetic stimulation, involves hooking someone up to a device that creates a magnetic field. The field then induces an electrical current in specific brain regions, which activates that part of the brain. It's worked for depression, and now may help the estimated 8 million adults with ADHD.
Despite sounding crackpot crazy, there’s a biological reason why this might work. The brain uses two different means of transmitting signals: electric pulses and chemicals. Drugs mess with the chemical part. Magnetic stimulation messes with the electrical part.
The method has proved useful for depression. Many legitimate researchers are testing magnetic stimulation for other problems (pain, schizophrenia, ringing ears), and at least one group is using it to study the nature of free will.
The company, Brainsway, will team up with the Veterans Administration Medical Center of Los Angeles to test the treatment’s safety and effectiveness in 20 adults with ADD. Hopefully the patients won’t come out with ringing ears.
[Via Medgadget
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Hmmm....and how long before 1) someone tweaks the system to stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain, and 2) someone hacks an 'normal' unit to secretly stimlate the brains p[leasure centers without the user knowing any different until it's active.
There are hidden dangers to this kind of tech, though not on the saame scale as say Nanotech-inspired cancer or grey-ooze level threats, but individual threats nonetheless....
If someone hacks it to stimulate the pleasure center, you would probably have to pay them for that modification.
magneto
This looks like something out of a SAW movie...
It gives me the heebie-jeebies
A heavy cumbersome helmet that I can only imagine makes some sort of a buzzing sound designed (get this) to help people concentrate!