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Brain Pacemaker Helps Treat Alzheimer's Disease
First time accepted submitter Press2ToContinue writes "Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the use of a pacemaker-like device implanted in the brain to treat the symptoms of diseases like Parkinson's, or other maladies such as depression. For the first time in the US, surgeons at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland have used this technique to attempt to slow memory loss in a patient suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The fornix, a vital part of the brain that brings data to the hippocampus, is being targeted with this device. Essentially, the fornix is the area of the brain that converts electrical activity into chemical activity. Holes are drilled into the skull, and wires are placed on both sides of the brain. Then, the stimulator device pumps in small and unnoticeable electrical impulses upwards of 130 times per second. Half of the patients will begin the electrical treatment two weeks post-surgery, but the other half won't have their pacemakers turned on until a full year after the surgery to provide comparison data for the study."
Now could you use this in a happy healthy brain to become even more happy and healthy?
I don't know, how traumatic is having your children stolen then one of them being told to tell his new school that his parents are dead?
Operation Guillotine is in effect.
The only thing that terrifies me more than getting something like Alzheimer's and being robbed of my memories and experiences and personality is the idea of having any form of brain surgery. Thinking about this story is the kind of shit that keeps me up at night. :)
Isn't this the plot of an old Michael Crichton novel? The only difference is that the protagonist was affected by epilepsia rather than parkinson.
Could this work on politicians? If anybody needs a brain pacemaker, it would be them.
Not sure of this particular tech, but I think you need higher cortical functions in order for this to work. Most politicians seem to be moved only by the basest of emotions and certainly not logic or other 'higher' functions. In short, I don't think there is anything to 'pace'.
Now, an AICD implanted in the brain. That's another thought entirely. One that I kinda like. Fills me with all sorts of tingly joy.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
So it's your conviction that mitigating the effects of brain disease is not possible until we have "mind reading equipment" and optical nerve sniffer ports?
And that medical treatments involving electrical impulses are scientifically baseless and barbarian?
I was with you except the "righteous retribution" part. (I even modded you up before checking that, haha) Depression is such an abused term, seldom used for people with something chemically wrong with them. Some individuals are just terrible at letting things go -- it's always been that way and always will be. I'm one of them.
That said, when I'm wronged, the hatred for those who wronged me does fuel me -- but not for righteous retribution, but to: prove them wrong, show them up, surpass them, surpass their preconceived notions, or otherwise knock them down a couple pegs, socially speaking. Who knows, maybe you meant that when you said "righteous retribution" but you let your passion get the best of your phrasing?
BTW, I can speak about this with a recent passion, and hopefully I'll get a chance to confront the individual but otherwise (be it with choice words or indiscriminate 4 letter words), it's become much about proving this individual wrong. Regardless of what happens, it'll be a lot more therapudic than handing out C-notes to shysters like candy.
"Essentially, the fornix is the area of the brain that converts electrical activity into chemical activity."
That is an egregious description of the fornix. All of the brain's electrical activity is electro-chemical, and the fornix has no special role that relates to converting electrical activity into chemical activity.
The fornix is a bundle of axons (i.e. a white matter tract) that connects the hippocampus with the hypothalamus.
CPS used fraud in a commercial tribunal to "legally" kidnap my children citing "risk of future emotional harm". I have never been arrested, charged, tried or convicted of any crime. I get to see them eight times a year for one hour at a time. IF it suits CPS to allow me to do so. It was during one of these "contact" sessions in 2010 that an unprompted disclosure was made. CPS immediately STOPPED further contact, and I had to drag their arses through a commercial tribunal to *see my own children*. I still do not have letterbox or telephone contact, nor do I even know what schools they go to, although I do know that they have been separated, and the older two are being pumped full of psychotropic drugs.
Next daft question?
Operation Guillotine is in effect.
Seems more Count of Monte Cristo-esque to me. A group of people conspire against an individual under the letter of the law, and when the true victim wants to get back at them, we systematically brand the victim as evil and senseless. Though to be fair, the only affirming righteous retribution I can see is working toward fixing the system and getting justice against whoever railroaded Tastecicles.
This is a really interesting thread. I mentioned my problems elsewhere but I look like a whining baby compared to Tastecicles' problems. (my anger/hatred is directed toward someone who messed up a relationship between both me and a community of hobbyists re: something I'm passionate about, and the fallout killed an intimate relationship that was developing) So what Tastecicles is saying he's getting this: "hey, yeah, we railroaded you. Sorry you're depressed! Why don't you see our counselors and take psychotropic drugs for the rest of your life!" Ouch.
Anyway, I think Tastecicles' original post is HUGELY underrated. Everyone else (including me!) let this slip by: "We'll cure your depression by drilling holes into your brain and shocking it in regular intervals."
What. The. Fuck?!? What is this, the 1950s?
I'd say we all know far too little to judge one slashdotters life situation with any real certainty.
But back on topic, EST/ECT does still work for a lot of people, and considerable work has been done to make the process less barbaric. This sounds like a very benign version of that.
Here's an interesting TED talk on severe depression and electroshock, from someone that was fortunate enough to benefit from it...
http://www.ted.com/talks/sherwin_nuland_on_electroshock_therapy.html