American scientists have successfully tested electrical brain stimulation on the military. As a result, the researchers were able to improve the intelligence and efficiency of the soldiers. About how soon all people will walk with a bundle of electrodes on their heads and how safe such doping is.
We are talking about the technology transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which in Russia is called "transcranial micropolarization" (TCMP). Applying a current of up to two milliamperes to the brain leads to the excitation of a group of neurons and the formation of neural pathways associated with various types of physical or mental activity.
It improves cognitive abilities of a person: it concentrates attention, increases reaction speed and mathematical abilities. It is only necessary to correctly select the area of the brain to which the signal will be applied, and place the electrodes there. Accordingly, the goals of TCMP can be different, and there are many options for using the technology.
In this case, flight crews, drone operators and other military personnel who need continuous monitoring of the situation were subjected to experiments. Five electrodes were used for stimulation, sending weak electrical signals to the brain through specific areas of the cortex.
The study involved 20 people. They were required to control the cursor in a moving circle and follow the rest of the objects on the screen for 36 minutes. In the first group, stimulation with electric current continued throughout the entire task, in the second - only the first 30 seconds. The first group, who received prolonged electrical stimulation, performed better, and the participants maintained their concentration for a total of four minutes longer. A similar study was conducted in 2011. It was then found that electrical stimulation contributes to the learning ability of American pilots trained on video simulators.
Scientists at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio explain that repetitive tasks reduce military concentration, and by the end of the shift, the reaction is noticeably worse.
“In the air force, the flight crew and drone operators need to constantly monitor the situation, as well as make decisions quickly and respond to changes,” they emphasize. The military sees electrostimulation as a safer alternative to classic drugs like modafinil and Ritalin, which are used off-label but as a doping for the brain.
The US military has a keen interest in TCMP and is conducting extensive research in this area. So, in 2010, a group of scientists from New Mexico proved the effectiveness of the technology using the example of the special game DARWARS Ambush!.. There you need to look for opponents and other dangerous objects, such as explosives, in virtual landscapes, and quickly respond to them. Volunteers who underwent brain stimulation performed more efficiently and performed better.
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Athletes are also interested in TCMP, and there is already evidence that the technology improves endurance, muscle strength, and improves coordination of movements. Electrical stimulation is not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA, since the fact of its use cannot be detected and scientific information about it is contradictory. Although thousands of scientific publications speak of the effectiveness of TCMP.
In sports, electrostimulation can increase training productivity and the speed of developing the necessary skills while maintaining results for weeks and months. The athletes themselves believe in the effectiveness of TCMP. Mikel Thomas from Trinidad and Tobago, who raced the 110 meter hurdles at the 2012 London Olympics, revealed that he was training with electrical brain stimulation. Sprinter Hafsatu Kamara from Sierra Leone noted that after TCMP she set a personal record in 100 meters.
In addition to cognitive abilities, TCMP can affect many other aspects of brain function. The method has been studied for over 20 years and has been tried in many situations. In total, more than ten thousand volunteers took part in no less than 265 clinical studies. TCMP has already been used successfully for stroke recovery, depression and chronic diseases. Also, the technology is used to reduce sleep time, get rid of bad habits, and even to increase empathic abilities.
Electrical brain stimulation devices are sold completely free. The movement of “home TCMP” is even developing, when people experience this electrical doping on themselves in everyday life. So, more than eight thousand people have subscribed to a separate thread in Reddit dedicated to electrical brain stimulation. According to Stanford University, which studied this community in 2015, TCMP is of greatest interest to men with higher education between the ages of 20 and 30.
And yet, in the scientific world, they are still wary of TCMP and do not dare to declare that this technology is harmless. With prolonged use of TCMP, scalp burns can occur, and this is the lesser of the problem. If you confuse the anode with the cathode or carelessly position the electrodes, the brain functions, on the contrary, deteriorate. Be that as it may, the popularity of TCMP is growing and the participants in the experiments assess the effect of electrical stimulation as positive.
Vlad Massino