tDCS course intro episode - #8 - Jan 25, 2025

Mike: 00:00:15

Welcome to the Neurostimulation Podcast.

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I'm Michael Passmore, Clinical

Associate Professor in the Department

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of Psychiatry at the University of

British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

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The Neurostimulation Podcast is intended

to bring cutting edge neuroscience

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and clinical neurostimulation

information to you free of charge.

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Every week we're going to

explore various topics.

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In this exciting field, all the way from

the basics of clinical neuro stimulation,

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various different research breakthroughs

in neuroscience and neurostimulation,

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all the way through to how those research

breakthroughs are being translated

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into real world treatments that can

help to improve health and wellness.

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So whether you're a researcher, a

clinician, a student, or simply someone

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who's interested in how our brains

work and what we can do to help them to

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work better, this podcast is for you.

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Today, I'm very excited to present the

introductory lecture in a free course on

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transcranial direct current stimulation

that I'm going to be offering here.

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For a number of weeks, we're going to

be exploring transcranial direct current

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stimulation, all the way from the basics

of the electrophysiology, through to

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clinical applications in terms of how

it's being used to help people in terms

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of symptom management and functional

optimization these days, as well as future

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considerations in terms of where this

technology may eventually go in terms

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of helping optimize health and wellness.

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As usual, I'd like to emphasize that

this podcast is separate from my clinical

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and academic roles and is part of my

effort to bring neuroscience education

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to the general public free of charge.

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Accordingly, the content that

I'm presenting here is intended

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for educational purposes only,

and not as medical advice.

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If you have any specific questions

about your particular healthcare

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matters, I would encourage you

to discuss those with your own

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qualified healthcare professional.

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By watching or listening to this

podcast, you acknowledge and agree

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that any decisions related to your

own health are your responsibility and

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should be undertaken in consultation

with your health professional.

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This episode is presented by

by ZipStim Neurostimulation.

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ZipStim is the neurostimulation

clinic that I own and operate.

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If you want more information about

the programs that we have to offer,

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please check us out at zipstim.

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com.

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That's Z I P S T I M dot com.

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Now let's get started with

the introductory lecture

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and the course in general.

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The course I'm going to offer here

is rooted in foundational concepts

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and applications outlined in the

textbook titled Practical Guide to

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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation.

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Principles, Procedures, and Applications,

edited by Helena Notkova, Michael

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Nitsch, Maram Bikson, and Adam Woods.

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This book provides an unparalleled

overview of transcranial direct current

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stimulation, from biophysical principles

all the way through to clinical

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applications and it'll serve as our

primary reference throughout this course.

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If you're interested, I would really

encourage you to consider buying a copy

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of the textbook or taking a copy out

from the library and having a look.

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It's a really useful resource

for understanding transcranial

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direct current stimulation.

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All the way from the basic science through

to clinical applications and future

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directions for research and clinical use.

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Today I'd like to establish a foundation

by exploring neurostimulation in

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general, situating transcranial

direct current stimulation within

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the broader landscape of brain

stimulation techniques, and examining

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the unique characteristics of tDCS.

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These introductory concepts will provide

the groundwork for deeper dives into the

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science, the protocols, the applications,

and methodologies that we're going to

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be discussing in subsequent lectures.

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So by the end of today's lecture,

participants will be able to

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first define neurostimulation or

neuromodulation, and describe its role

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in neuroscience and in clinical practice.

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Participants will be able to explain

how tDCS, transcranial direct current

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stimulation, how it fits within the

broader landscape of neuromodulation

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or neurostimulation techniques.

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And participants will be able to identify

the unique features, advantages, and

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limitations of tDCS compared to other

commonly applied neurostimulation

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technologies in clinical practice.

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So the purpose of the course in

general is going to be to provide

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you with foundational knowledge

for clinical applications as

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well as research use of tDCS.

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As a clinician myself, my expertise

and interest is mainly in clinical

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applications of neurostimulation

technologies, although obviously

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that draws from research findings,

and so there is a healthy

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relationship between the two fields.

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But my expertise really will be

on the clinical side and a healthy

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discussion though I would encourage in

the comment section from researchers

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and clinicians who might in turn

be able to help one another answer

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questions that I might not be able to.

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So the other thing I'm hoping is that

with this course we can start to build

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a healthy community of people who are

also interested in clinical applications

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of neurostimulation as well as research

into these fields but also for the

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general population who are interested

in finding out more about these issues.

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The course is also intended to explore

practical applications of tDCS in

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particular, but neurostimulation

in general for treatment of mental

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health problems, chronic pain issues,

as well as other things that are

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potentially going to become more

clinically available as the evidence

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builds, such as cognitive enhancement.

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So why neuromodulation

or neurostimulation?

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You'll see these two terms, they

tend to be somewhat interchangeable

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in the literature, and in some ways

neuromodulation is probably a better

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term because the modulation piece, which

refers to changes, is also recognizing

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that with these technologies, there

does not necessarily always have to

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be a stimulating effect in terms of

positively changing brain circuitry or

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physiology to be somehow accelerated or

stimulated, that the technology sometimes

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does the opposite, slowing or reducing

the rate of electrical neurotransmitter

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functioning and, activity in the brain.

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So, it's not necessarily a matter of

just stimulating or, or augmenting the

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electrical neurochemical activity, but

it can be a combination of stimulating

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or slowing and so the modulation term is

technically more appropriate, although for

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the purpose of this course, I'll probably

mostly be using the term neurostimulation

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just for consistency's sake to avoid

confusion, but just recognize that those

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two terms are pretty much interchangeable.

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So what is neurostimulation

or neuromodulation?

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Well, I think a reasonable broad

definition could be that it refers

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to the targeted regulation of nervous

system activity using electrical,

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magnetic, or even chemical stimulation.

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Now, if we include the chemical

stimulation piece into that, then

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that really broadens the scope of

the definition to include medication.

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So for the purpose of this course,

I think mainly we're going to

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be concentrating on the use of

electrical or magnetic stimulation

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as opposed to chemical stimulation.

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However, as an aside, I would say

that an interesting, side piece or

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side consideration in the entire

space of neurostimulation has to do

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with combination approaches, right?

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So using clinical neurostimulation

techniques in addition to other more

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contemporary or legacy treatment options

like medication, and/or psychotherapy.

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The second piece here neurostimulation

are breaking it down into categories and

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I think that the two most straightforward

categories basically look at whether a

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neurostimulation technology is invasive,

in other words, does it involve the need

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for some kind of a surgical procedure

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in order to implant hardware into

the body, and so currently the two

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main areas that involve that type of

technology are deep brain stimulation

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or DBS, spinal cord stimulation,

vagal nerve stimulation is another one

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that we're not going to talk about,

but it's important to know about it.

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and so the invasive neurostimulation

techniques versus the non

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invasive neurostimulation or

neuromodulation techniques.

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So the non invasive techniques are

techniques like electroconvulsive

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therapy, transcranial direct current

stimulation, transcranial magnetic

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stimulation, and transcutaneous

electrical nerve stimulation.

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So these are things like, like for

example, the latter TENS, if any of

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you have had any kind of an injury,

like a musculoskeletal injury and

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you've had to go for physiotherapy,

you may have had a TENS machine applied

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to your muscles just to try and, you

know, as part of your physio, your

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rehab to, help your musculoskeletal

system to recover from the injury.

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So it's an external application

of electrical current, or in the

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case of transcranial magnetic

stimulation, the external application

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of a magnetic field that in turn

stimulates an electrical current in

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the underlying neurological tissue.

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So again, for the purpose of this

course is going to be focused

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on transcranial direct current

stimulation or tDCS, which is a subset

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of the noninvasive neurostimulation

technologies that are available

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and applied for clinical benefits.

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Some examples of clinical applications

for these various neurostimulation

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techniques include chronic pain and

for tDCS in particular, the chronic

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pain conditions that are mainly

targeted with this technology are

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fibromyalgia and migraine headaches.

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There are also mental health issues

that can be alleviated with these

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technologies, such as depression, which

has been treated with neurostimulation

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techniques for decades, really,

including electroconvulsive therapy and

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more recently repetitive transcranial

magnetic stimulation, but other mental

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health problems like anxiety disorders,

Parkinson's disease, not mental health

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per se, but neuropsychiatric, and

then we'll also talk a bit about some

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other broader application potentials

like things like stroke rehabilitation

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and cognitive enhancement in general.

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So let's go into an

introduction into tDCS.

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What is tDCS?

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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation.

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So this is a non invasive brain

stimulation technique that delivers

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a low, constant electrical current

to targeted brain areas via surface

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electrodes that are placed on the scalp.

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The historical development

of tDCS is quite interesting.

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The idea of using electricity to influence

the human body has ancient roots.

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Observations as far back as 43 to 48 AD

noted that applying electrical discharges

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from live torpedo fish to the scalp

provided pain relief for headaches.

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By the 11th century, Ibn-Sidah, that's I B

N dash S I D A H, proposed that electrical

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stimulation of the frontal bone could

be used as a treatment for epilepsy.

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In the 18th century, Luigi Galvani and

Alessandro Volta significantly advanced

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the field with their foundational

experiments in bioelectricity.

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Galvani's voltaic cell experiments

highlighted the role of electricity

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in physiology, establishing an early

scientific basis for electrical therapy.

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Giovanni Aldini, a nephew of

Galvini, extended this work into

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mental health, using galvanism to

treat melancholia, an old term for

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depression, and other conditions.

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Aldini's efforts were among the

first to demonstrate the therapeutic

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potential of transcranial stimulation.

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The 19th century saw electrical

stimulation for neurological

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and psychiatric disorders.

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However, many studies lacked scientific

rigor, often failing to detail stimulation

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parameters or accurate diagnoses.

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Despite this, notable physicians like Dr.

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Alexander Robertson highlighted the

therapeutic potential of electricity when

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applied carefully and systematically.

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In the 20th century, technological

advancements enabled the development

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of more sophisticated devices.

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Techniques such as cranial

electrotherapy stimulation, or CES

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and electroanesthesia, or EA, emerged.

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Although promising, these methods

often involved high current

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intensities and faced challenges with

side effects and safety concerns.

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Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT,

s initially introduced in the: 1930

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This marked a pivotal moment in

the history of neurostimulation.

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ECT involves the application of

high intensity electrical currents

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directly to the scalp in order

to induce generalized seizures.

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Unlike earlier methods of electrical

stimulation, ECT had a clear therapeutic

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intent and proved effective for severe

psychiatric disorders, particularly

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major depressive disorder with

psychotic symptoms and/or catatonia.

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While ECT's precise mechanism remains

partly unknown, it is thought to

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influence neurotransmitter systems,

neuroplasticity, and neuronal connectivity

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in key brain regions, such as the

prefrontal cortex and limbic structures.

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What are the advantages

and limitations of ECT?

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While ECT remains one of the most

effective treatments for severe, treatment

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resistant depression, particularly

with psychotic features or catatonia,

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it requires staff and equipment that's

typically only available in a hospital

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or medical clinic setting, it requires

a brief general anesthetic during

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the application of the electrical

stimulus, and there can be concerning

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side effects such as transient

confusion or memory impairment that's

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bothersome, although usually temporary.

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There is also a stigma related to the

history of electroconvulsive therapy.

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having been overly applied in a less

refined way in decades before the

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machines were more engineered to find

the best balance between effectiveness

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and minimizing side effects, such

as those that are in practice today,

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as well as clinical guidelines and

therapeutic treatment algorithms that

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are designed to optimize outcomes

while minimizing side effects.

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It's important to include ECT in the

historical discussion of neurostimulation.

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Not only is it still very important

and effective for treatment of

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severe psychiatric illnesses, such

as severe major depressive disorder

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with psychotic symptoms or catatonia,

but it set the stage for more recent

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advancements in neurostimulation, such

as transcranial magnetic stimulation and

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transcranial direct current stimulation.

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Both of these aim to achieve

therapeutic effects in conditions like

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depression, depression, and chronic

pain and perhaps cognitive enhancement

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without requiring the induction of

seizures or requiring anesthesia.

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In the early 2000s, advancements in

neuroscience and technology led to

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the resurgence of interest in non

invasive neurostimulation techniques.

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Researchers were able to demonstrate that

weak direct currents applied to the scalp

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could safely and effectively modulate

the underlying neuronal excitability.

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Unlike ECT, tDCS operates at a much

lower current, intensities of around

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1 to 2 milliamperes, and does not

induce seizures or require any kind

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of anesthesia or patient sedation.

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The non invasive nature of tDCS combined

with its low cost and minimal side

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effects makes it a much more accessible

option for patients and researchers.

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While ECT remains the gold standard

for severe psychiatric disorders such

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as severe depression with psychotic

features or catatonia, tDCS is

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increasingly being recognized as an

option for milder conditions or as

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an adjunctive option to medications

or psychotherapeutic strategies.

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The broader implications of ECT

in neurostimulation, is that ECT's

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legacy extends beyond its direct

applications, even though those

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are still very important today.

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ECT demonstrated that electrical

stimulation of the brain could

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produce profound therapeutic effects,

inspiring the development of these

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other neuromodulation technologies.

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What about transcranial

magnetic stimulation?

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Introduced in the 1980s, TMS

uses magnetic fields to induce

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electrical currents in the brain.

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It offers spatial precision in

targeting underlying brain regions

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without requiring surgery or any

other kind of invasive technique.

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It seems to have found a middle ground

between ECT and tDCS in many respects.

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tDCS, on the other hand, has emerged

as a simpler, more portable method for

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modulating brain activity, with clinical

applications ranging from treatment of

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chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia

and migraine headaches, to improving

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depression symptoms, to improving motor

function in stroke patients, as well as

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improving cognition in certain settings.

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The modern era of tDCS began around

the year: 2000

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understanding of neuroplasticity

and cortical excitability.

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Researchers discovered that weak

direct currents could safely and

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effectively modulate neuronal activity.

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This led to the standardization of tDCS

parameters, such as using currents between

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1 and 2 milliamps, and treatment session

durations of between 20 to 30 minutes.

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Seminal studies in human neurophysiology

established tDCS as a reproducible

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and scientifically robust technique.

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These studies demonstrated its

ability to influence cortical

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excitability and modulate behavioral,

cognitive, and emotional outcomes.

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The simplicity of tDCS, requiring minimal

equipment and offering versatility,

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positioned it as a cornerstone of

non invasive brain stimulation.

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Building on the success of

conventional tDCS, innovations like

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high definition tDCS have emerged.

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These techniques use smaller, gel-based

electodes to provide more precise

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stimulation to cortical regions.

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HD-tDCS, or high definition tDCS,

offers potential advantages in

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targeting specific brain regions for

therapeutic or research purposes.

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Remote supervised tDCS has also gained

traction, enabling patients to receive

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treatment at home under clinical guidance.

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This particular development reflects

the growing demand for scalable,

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accessible neurostimulation techniques.

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Today, tDCS is recognized as

a safe, effective tool in both

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research and clinical applications.

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Its ability to modulate brain plasticity

has made it a valuable approach in

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treating conditions such as depression,

chronic pain syndromes like fibromyalgia

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and migraine headaches, and in

rehabilitation and cognitive enhancement.

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The field continues to evolve with ongoing

research aimed at refining stimulation

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parameters, improving brain targeting,

and expanding clinical applications.

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During a tDCS session, electrodes placed

on the scalp deliver a small electrical

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current that flows between an anode

electrode and a cathode electrode.

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The polarity of the electrodes determines

the effect on neuronal excitability

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in the underlying brain tissue.

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Anodal stimulation increases

neuronal excitability, while

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cathodal stimulation decreases it.

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The simplicity of tDCS combined

with its ability to produce both

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short term and long lasting effects

makes it a versatile tool for both

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research and clinical applications.

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Its primary use includes modulating

cognitive function, enhancing

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rehabilitation outcomes in conditions such

as stroke, and alleviating symptoms of

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psychiatric and neurological disorders.

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in addition to certain chronic

pain syndromes like fibromyalgia

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and migraine headaches.

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So how does tDCS work?

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The basic principle involves delivering

a small constant current, typically

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between 1 and 2 milliamperes,

across the scalp using electrodes.

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The current subtly alters the

membrane potential of neurons in

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the targeted brain region, thereby

modulating their excitability.

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The tDCS effects are polarity-dependent.

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What does that mean?

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Well, each electrode

has different polarity.

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There's a so called anode

electrode and a cathode electrode.

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: 00:22:21

The anode stimulation tends to depolarize

neurons, bringing them closer to the

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: 00:22:26

threshold for firing, or helping them

to become more excitable is a good way

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: 00:22:30

of thinking about it, while cathodal

stimulation tends to hyperpolarize

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: 00:22:35

them, making it more difficult for

them to fire, or suppressing activity.

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: 00:22:39

These effects can influence things like

cognitive processes, motor function, and

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: 00:22:45

emotional regulation, depending on the

exact brain region that's being targeted.

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: 00:22:50

One key advantage is that tDCS doesn't

directly cause neuronal firing.

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: 00:22:56

Instead, it creates a conducive

environment for plasticity,

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: 00:23:00

making it a gentle yet effective

method for neuromodulation.

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: 00:23:04

To better understand tDCS, let's compare

it with other neurostimulation techniques.

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How about transcranial

magnetic stimulation, or TMS?

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: 00:23:13

Well, TMS uses magnetic fields to

induce electrical currents in the brain.

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: 00:23:18

It offers precise targeting

of underlying brain regions.

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: 00:23:22

but it requires more bulky

and expensive equipment.

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: 00:23:25

In contrast, tDCS is more portable,

affordable, and easier to administer.

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: 00:23:31

Another comparison we should touch

on is with transcutaneous electrical

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: 00:23:35

nerve stimulation, or TENS,

sometimes simply referred to as TENS.

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: 00:23:41

This targets peripheral

nerves rather than the brain.

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: 00:23:45

T E N S or TENS is important in

applications such as management

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: 00:23:49

of pain and in physiotherapy with

electrodes applied on various

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: 00:23:54

parts of the body to stimulate

the underlying peripheral nerves.

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: 00:23:58

tDCS's ability to target specific

cortical areas in the brain makes

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: 00:24:03

it uniquely suited for cognitive,

behavioral, and emotional applications.

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: 00:24:08

We should also mention tACS, which

stands for transcranial alternating

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: 00:24:12

current stimulation, which is

not available for clinical use.

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: 00:24:16

It's another type of an approach

for noninvasive neurostimulation

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: 00:24:20

that's used in research settings.

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: 00:24:22

And there are even other

things like transcranial random

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: 00:24:25

noise stimulation, or tRNS.

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: 00:24:28

Again, in research settings, not

for clinical use, these basically

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: 00:24:32

use different current waveforms

of the electrical stimulation to

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: 00:24:36

achieve distinct effects in the

underlying neurological tissue.

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: 00:24:40

Ultimately, each of these techniques has

its own strengths and weaknesses, but the

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: 00:24:44

simplicity and versatility of tDCS gives

it an edge in many clinical scenarios.

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: 00:24:50

The applications of tDCS are as

diverse as they are promising.

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: 00:24:55

In mental health, tDCS is

increasingly used to treat conditions

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: 00:25:00

like depression, anxiety, and

post traumatic stress disorder.

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: 00:25:05

In chronic pain conditions such as

fibromyalgia and migraine headaches,

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: 00:25:09

it has shown efficacy in reducing

symptoms and improving outcomes.

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: 00:25:15

tDCS is also increasingly understood

to have a role in enhancing motor

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: 00:25:19

function after stroke and possibly

also helping to address cognitive

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: 00:25:23

decline in neurodegenerative

disorders like Alzheimer's disease.

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: 00:25:29

Beyond its clinical use, tDCS is

also gaining attention for cognitive

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: 00:25:33

enhancement, in individuals who don't

necessarily have cognitive disorders.

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: 00:25:38

Studies have shown improvements in

memory, attention, and learning when

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: 00:25:43

tDCS is paired with specific tasks.

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: 00:25:47

In the podcast, we'll continue

to look at breakthrough research

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: 00:25:50

on tDCS in specific applications,

such as cognitive enhancement.

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: 00:25:55

This opens up the possibilities for

various applications in education,

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: 00:25:59

sports, and even the arts.

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: 00:26:01

Of course, this also opens up important

ethical considerations, which we'll

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: 00:26:05

discuss later in the course, and which

we discuss in other podcast episodes

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: 00:26:10

that consider the potential application

for neurostimulation to improve

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: 00:26:15

cognitive function in people who do not

necessarily have cognitive disorders.

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: 00:26:20

Overall, the versatility of

tDCS underscores its potential

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: 00:26:25

as a tool for improving quality

of life in various domains.

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: 00:26:30

So let's talk a bit about the

current applications of tDCS.

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: 00:26:34

First of all, let's talk

about pain management.

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: 00:26:36

So right now, the specific device,

for example, that we use at ZipStim

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: 00:26:42

Neurostimulation is a device that's

produced by a company called Soterix

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: 00:26:48

Medical in the States, and it has

Health Canada approval for treatment

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: 00:26:52

of fibromyalgia and migraine headaches.

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: 00:26:55

So chronic pain conditions like this

can be improved with transcranial

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: 00:27:00

direct current stimulation and there's

significant evidence base supporting that

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: 00:27:05

In terms of mental health applications,

depression, anxiety, PTSD, in Canada

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: 00:27:12

at least, these treatments are off

label for the time being, but there

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: 00:27:15

is a growing evidence base that will

likely have these being included in the

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: 00:27:20

approved Health Canada indications for

a tDCS in the not too distant future.

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: 00:27:25

In general also, again, off label,

in Canada at least, There is an

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: 00:27:29

exciting potential for tDCS to

be helpful for people in various

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: 00:27:34

different kinds of conditions such

as stroke rehabilitation, in motor

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: 00:27:38

function recovery, in other aspects

of musculoskeletal and neurological

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: 00:27:43

rehabilitation, as well as emerging areas.

380

: 00:27:46

Again, now this is more in the research

realm as opposed to clinically relevant

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: 00:27:51

at present but the hope will be that as

this type of technology is researched more

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: 00:27:57

and more, the clinical applications will

grow as the evidence base becomes more

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: 00:28:01

robust for various types of conditions.

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: 00:28:04

In terms of emerging areas that are more

for future consideration, but that are

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: 00:28:08

being heavily researched at present,

it's exciting to think about how tDCS

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: 00:28:14

might be part of a strategy to improve

cognition in people as they age, to

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: 00:28:20

help reduce the risk for things like

neurodegenerative diseases, or perhaps

388

: 00:28:24

even serve as a treatment for people

who are suffering from neurodegenerative

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: 00:28:29

diseases, and overall, again, how

might these technologies fit into a

390

: 00:28:34

package of different kinds of tools

to help people deal with various kinds

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: 00:28:40

of neurological and neuropsychiatric

and cognitive disorders in a way

392

: 00:28:44

that really allows their management

plan to be personalized and tailored

393

: 00:28:49

specifically for their particular needs.

394

: 00:28:52

I think that with the fields coalescing

and converging in terms of things

395

: 00:28:57

like a better understanding of our own

genetics and family history and our

396

: 00:29:02

own specific risk factors for various

problems, I think it'll be important to

397

: 00:29:07

have neurostimulation techniques as part

of the toolkit that we can discuss with

398

: 00:29:11

our own healthcare practitioners in order

to be able to choose the best tools that

399

: 00:29:16

work the best for us, to give us the best

outcomes with the lowest risk of side

400

: 00:29:20

effects, whether that's neurostimulation

techniques, whether that's psychotherapy,

401

: 00:29:25

whether that's medication, or a

combination of all of those things.

402

: 00:29:30

So the key takeaways that I would

like to leave you with before we wrap

403

: 00:29:34

up today is that transcranial direct

current stimulation is a versatile.

404

: 00:29:39

cost effective and safe

neurostimulation technique.

405

: 00:29:43

Its simplicity and wide ranging

applications make it a valuable

406

: 00:29:46

tool for clinicians and researchers.

407

: 00:29:49

And so understanding the basics

of tDCS is essential for applying

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: 00:29:54

it effectively in practice.

409

: 00:29:56

So as we've been discussing this I've

been showing you some slides as well

410

: 00:30:00

that I've made based on the content

here that we've been discussing and I'm

411

: 00:30:05

going to make those slides available

to you free of charge and there's been

412

: 00:30:09

some images that I've shown of tDCS

devices and the electrode setups, and

413

: 00:30:14

we'll be discussing those in subsequent

course lectures and so again, if you

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: 00:30:21

are interested in that, please put

comments or questions in the comment

415

: 00:30:25

section and I'd be happy to respond.

416

: 00:30:28

I hope again to stimulate discussion,

um, amongst viewers and listeners

417

: 00:30:33

to really start to hopefully grow a

community of people who are interested

418

: 00:30:38

and want to share ideas and help

one another learn about tDCS and

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: 00:30:44

neurostimulation in particular.

420

: 00:30:45

As part of your interaction in the

comment section, I would invite

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: 00:30:49

you to share which neurostimulation

application are you most interested in?

422

: 00:30:53

What kinds of, um, what kinds of

results have you had in your research

423

: 00:30:58

careers or your clinical careers?

424

: 00:31:00

With various types of neurostimulation

options, um, likes, dislikes, uh, what you

425

: 00:31:05

see in terms of the future of where these

technologies are headed and, what kinds of

426

: 00:31:12

success stories that you've had, whether

on label or off label, I would have to

427

: 00:31:15

say that, you know, in terms of off label

applications, of course, you know, uh,

428

: 00:31:20

there's no formal recommendation here.

429

: 00:31:22

This is intended for educational purposes

only, but, um, you know, it's something

430

: 00:31:27

that because we want to do the best that

we can for our patients and with their

431

: 00:31:31

informed consent, we can sometimes go

along with off label recommendations that

432

: 00:31:37

patients, again, with informed consent

have requested and want collaboration

433

: 00:31:42

with us practitioners, and so I think

part of our effort to do the best that

434

: 00:31:46

we can for clients and patients who may

be feeling as though the, officially

435

: 00:31:51

approved treatment options are fairly

limited or not well tolerated or not

436

: 00:31:56

fully effective, then really need

to start thinking outside the box.

437

: 00:31:59

And so it is the case often that

these innovative technologies are

438

: 00:32:03

often found to be quite useful

and broadly applied off label.

439

: 00:32:08

And eventually the regulatory

agencies, you know, in a sense,

440

: 00:32:11

catch up and then end up approving

them so that they become on label.

441

: 00:32:15

But it's a complicated space and many

different interests that are involved

442

: 00:32:18

with all of these considerations and

so, all of that's just to say that

443

: 00:32:22

your interest and engagement in the

educational piece is what I'm most

444

: 00:32:27

interested in with this particular

lecture and this course in general.

445

: 00:32:31

And so I am very grateful for

your interest and your time in

446

: 00:32:35

watching and listening today.

447

: 00:32:37

I'm also going to include in the show

notes some resources for you, some

448

: 00:32:42

links to sites that are important.

449

: 00:32:44

I think resource wise in terms of

enhancing your understanding about

450

: 00:32:48

tDCS, so for today's lecture, it's an

introductory lecture and so it's going

451

: 00:32:53

to be kind of a broad, uh, grouping

of broad resources based on tDCS.

452

: 00:32:58

The technology and the history,

um, as well as the clinical

453

: 00:33:02

applications that we've been talking

about where we're going to go into

454

: 00:33:05

all of this in much more detail.

455

: 00:33:07

in future lectures as

the course progresses.

456

: 00:33:10

To summarize, today we've explored the

basics of neurostimulation, and we've

457

: 00:33:14

established tDCS as a non invasive,

cost effective, and versatile technique

458

: 00:33:19

for modulating brain function.

459

: 00:33:22

Its simplicity and safety coupled with

a wide range of potential clinical

460

: 00:33:27

applications makes it a valuable tool

for clinicians and researchers alike.

461

: 00:33:33

In the next lecture of this course,

we're going to dive deeper into the

462

: 00:33:36

biophysical principles of transcranial

direct current stimulation and learn about

463

: 00:33:41

the factors that influence its effects.

464

: 00:33:44

Thank you so much for

listening or watching.

465

: 00:33:47

I really appreciate your interest,

your time, and your attention.

466

: 00:33:50

I would really encourage you to

like and subscribe so that you

467

: 00:33:54

don't miss any future episodes.

468

: 00:33:56

If you found this introductory

lecture helpful, I would encourage

469

: 00:33:59

you to stay tuned and participate

in the full course on transcranial

470

: 00:34:04

direct current stimulation.

471

: 00:34:06

Also, if you think that this episode

and the podcast in general might

472

: 00:34:10

be interesting for somebody that

you know, please forward the link

473

: 00:34:14

to them so that they can appreciate

and understand more about these

474

: 00:34:18

revolutionary technologies also.

475

: 00:34:21

I really want to encourage the

construction of a healthy community

476

: 00:34:24

interested in all aspects of

neurostimulation in particular

477

: 00:34:29

and neuroscience in general.

478

: 00:34:31

This is part of my mission

to provide education in

479

: 00:34:35

neurostimulation and neuroscience

to you free of charge every week.

480

: 00:34:39

Don't forget to like and

subscribe to the podcast.

481

: 00:34:42

It's the best way for us to get this

out to as many people as possible,

482

: 00:34:46

and it's a great way to make sure that

you never miss an upcoming episode.

483

: 00:34:50

It helps us to reach more

curious minds like yours.

484

: 00:34:55

For more details about the research and

technology we've discussed today, check

485

: 00:34:59

out the links in the show notes below.

486

: 00:35:01

You'll find everything that you

need to dive deeper into this topic.

487

: 00:35:05

And I'd love to hear your thoughts.

488

: 00:35:07

Please join the conversation in

the comments section or reach out

489

: 00:35:10

to us on our social media outlets.

490

: 00:35:13

Your questions, ideas, and feedback

make this podcast much better.

491

: 00:35:18

Finally, don't forget to

tune in to the next episode.

492

: 00:35:21

where we explore another fascinating

topic in the field of neuroscience

493

: 00:35:26

and clinical neurostimulation.

494

: 00:35:28

We continue on in our course on

transcranial direct current stimulation,

495

: 00:35:32

and we have interesting and enlightening

discussions with experts in the field

496

: 00:35:38

of neuroscience, neurostimulation,

health and wellness, in order to

497

: 00:35:43

optimize your own health and wellness,

and increase your understanding of

498

: 00:35:47

these revolutionary neurological

and neuroscientific techniques.

499

: 00:35:52

Thanks again for listening, take care,

stay well, stay curious, and I'll see you

500

: 00:35:57

next time on the Neurostimulation Podcast.