Patients were asked to wear a cap embedded with electrodes for 20 minutes on four consecutive days. The study included 150 people ages 65 to 88 who did not have a diagnosed neurological disorder. Reinhart led a study, published in August in the journal Nature Neuroscience, that found that delivering small electric zaps to the brain appeared to boost memory in a group of older adults for at least one month. The science behind why electrically stimulating the brain appears to aid memory and thinking abilities is still in the early stages, Wexner noted. “They weren’t too pleased that individuals were essentially using the same technology as they were doing but doing it at home, so using similar devices to stimulate their own brains with low levels of electricity at home,” she said. Many of them are marketed as having clearance from the Food and Drug Administration, which entails a less rigorous review process than what’s needed for FDA approval.Īt-home brain stimulation began in earnest in the early 2010s, Wexler said, despite pushback from clinicians and scientists, who were concerned about safety. They are usually no bigger than a television remote or a smartphone batteries, head caps and straps, saline and other accessories needed to send the weak pulses of electricity to the brain are sometimes sold separately. The at-home devices are available online and typically range in cost from as little as $40 to around $500. Others credit it as a way to achieve deeper meditative states or mental clarity. But the use of at-home brain stimulation devices is flourishing among a group of enthusiasts, who say it enhances their mental state and gives them an edge, like on an upcoming exam or a project at work. Medical uses of brain stimulation typically take place in hospitals or doctors' offices. These electrodes send tiny electrical impulses through the skull to the brain. Most brain stimulating techniques involve placing electrodes - conductors through which electricity travels - on certain parts of a person’s head.
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