Electrical stimulation of the brain: the benefits of the short, sharp shock

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/jun/03/electrical-brain-stimulation-treatments


Sarah Scott, left, a stroke patient, has tDCS treatment with speech therapist Johanna Rae. Photograph: Andy Hall for the Observer (Click on the picture for a graphic depicting shock therapy)

Neuroscientist Sven Bestmann is standing behind me holding a pretzel-shaped coil of metal encased in plastic and connected to a machine the size of a small fridge. We're in his lab at University College London. He tells me to hold my hand in front of my face and relax the muscles as he brings the metal coil up to my skull. With a click, the coil emits an electromagnetic pulse into my brain. Involuntarily, my fingers and wrist twitch.

"Ooh! I wasn't expecting that!"

"It does feel a bit weird, doesn't it?" Sven says reassuringly. He's done this many times and he and his colleagues often pilot studies on themselves.

Next, he brings the coil further forward on my head and asks me to speak. I choose a nice long word and start repeating it. In come the clicks – and I get stuck halfway through.

"Supercalifragilisssssssticexpialidocious."