Can brain stimulation aid memory and brain health?

Can Brain stimulation aid memory and brain health?

Harvard women ' s Health Watch

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The jury is still out, but magnetic fields or mild electric currents could aid learning and help several conditions that AFF ECT women in particular.

stimulating your brain doesn ' t just mean spending an evening at the Thea ter or reading a good book. These days it can involve sitting with your head against a magnet or wearing electrodes that transmit a low-voltage curren T through your scalp to activate-or suppress-certain neurons in your brain. The prospect of regulating brain signals responsible for mood, pain, and learning are so compelling that scores of studies is under a-and how, the approach can is used to sharpen mental skills and treat symptoms of several mind-bod Y disorders. "Brain stimulation, if used carefully and safely, looks promising, especially if combined with other therapies," says Dr. Daniel Press, a neurologist with the Berenson-allen Center for noninvasive Brain stimulation at harvard-affiliated Beth Rael deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Press has used noninvasive brain stimulation for almost a decade.

How does the devices work?

Types of brain stimulation is available today. Each have FDA clearance for at least one medical purpose, but are being used in clinical trials and ' off label ' to treat Several medical conditions.

in TMS therapy, the physician positions the magnet-stimulate neurons in a specific area of the brain that's Undera Ctive in people with Depression.

transcranial magnetic stimulation (tms)   uses a magnetic field generated by a coil in a paddle so is held against the patient's head to stimulate specific Areas of the brain. This form of therapy is also called Repetitive tms or RTMS because the magnet are turned on an D off rapidly, creating an effect that feels as though someone are tapping on your head. The magnet emits loud noises as it is turned on and off, which requires people undergoing tms  ; Therapy to wear earplugs during the 40-minute sessions. Side effects is usually limited to headaches and ringing in the ears.

Transcranial Direct current stimulation (TDCS) transmits a weak current from a 9-volt battery (the size used in a smoke de Tector) through electrodes on the forehead or scalp. People who undergo tDCS may feel their scalp tingle and hear a humming noise. Each session is lasts about minutes.

Both TMS and TDCS is being used to treat the following:

depression. tms stimulates Neurons in the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain that's underactive in people with Depression. tms received fda clearance in-treating people with depression for whom Drugs haven ' t been effective. It may also is an alternative for women with depression who is pregnant or breastfeeding and thus may not want Tidepressants. Unlike electro-convulsive therapy, which is also approved for depression that isn ' t alleviated by Medication, tms isn ' t likely to cause seizures or memory loss. Insurance may cover tms therapy.

TDCS, which is fda-cleared only to speed the absorption of certain medications through the skin, are also being used to Treat depression. Because TDCS is still considered experimental, insurance won ' t pay for this therapy for depression or any other condition.

Chronic pain. In a recent review of several randomized controlled clinical trials of TMS, Harvard Re-searchers concluded the It was Effective in treating nerve pain, including back and leg pain, pain and numbness in hands and feet caused by diabetes, an D fibromyalgia. Although there is fewer data for TDCS, it may also is effective for those conditions.

Damage from stroke. Preliminary suggests that TMS and TDCS could improve a person's ability to move and speak and to overcome what ' s called spatial neglect-the inability to notice or recognize objects on one side of the body. (Stroke damage on the right side of the brain affects the visual field on the left.)

Eating disorders. In early studies, both TMS and TDCS has reduced episodes of binge eating and bulimia in women with those eating disor DERs.

Migraine. A portable device that delivers a different type of TMS have received FDA clearance for treating migraine headache With aura (headache preceded by flashes of light, tingling, or other sensory disturbances). The manufacturer is conducting post-marketing studies @ several headache centers before making it available by Prescripti On.

Tinnitus. Researchers is exploring new ways to deliver TMS to reduce or eliminate the perception of ringing in the ears or othe R sounds within the head.

Memory and learning. The last few years there has been scores of studies evaluating the effect of TMS or TDCS on people ' s ability to PE Rform mental tasks, particularly those that involve discerning visual patterns, re-calling lists of unrelated words, or do ing math problems. Over all, the results indicate that the techniques is most likely to improve mental function when used in conjunction wit H Other types of training, such as learning new systems for remembering names. A Few small studies in people with mild Alzheimer ' s disease suggest that TMS could is combined with cognitive exercise s to improve function.

If you ' re interested in noninvasive brain stimulation

You can locate the nearest medical facility this offers TMS to treat depression by going to the website of NeuroStar, the TMS system with FDA clearance for treating depression (www.neurostar.com), and entering your ZIP code. The best-by-get TMS or TDCS therapy for other medical conditions or to improve cognitive function are to enroll in One of the scores of clinical trials seeking volunteers. To find one in your area, go to the study database maintained by the National Institutes of Health at WWW.CLINICALTRIALS.G ov.

Can brain stimulation aid memory and brain health?