WHAT IS NEUROSTUMULATION / NEUROFIELD?

Neurostimulation / Neurofield is comprised of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) and pulsed electro-magnetic field stimulation (pEMF).

​If neurotherapy is like going to the gym, then the neurofeedback piece is like weight training while the neurostimulation piece is like cardiovascular exercise. These various modalities are used in customized and nuanced ways to aid our patients’ brain and body function.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (TDCS) is a form of electrical stimulation that is used to treat many conditions and pathologies, both in the brain and in the body. The technology uses a positive electrode and a negative electrode (called the anode and the cathode). Electrons are streamed from the anode to the cathode. A recent meta-analysis showed no serious adverse effects of over 1000 people across 33,200 sessions (2). This analysis included stimulations using up to 4 milli-amperes of electricity, while the equipment we use is hardwired to deliver no more than 2.5 milli-amperes. 

Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation is the newest of the stimulation modalities we use. tRNS is different from tDCS because instead of giving steady current from anode to cathode, it is giving current at randomized frequencies and milliamperes between the two sites. This means that the region of the brain between the electrodes are stimulated, increasing neuroplasticity and reducing stuck patterns. 

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a form of electrical stimulation that uses two electrodes (a positive electrode called an anode and a negative electrode, the cathode) to pass current back and forth through either the brain or the body. These various modalities are used in customized and nuanced ways to aid our clients’ brain and body function. It is called alternating current because the side which is giving and receiving electrons (anode and cathode) continuously switches.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (pEMF) stimulation is imperceptible, yet the effects are real. You can't feel it because an electromagnetic field is generated through a wire coil that simply flows through the air and pases through your body effortlesslly.  At low intensity pEMF is safe and has numerous clinical benefits. PEMF is relatively gentle compared to other stimulation technologies. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, for example, uses changes in magnetic field of up to 1-2 Tesla, which is forty thousand of times more powerful than the stimulation we use. A household refrigerator generates more EMF than the pEMF system we use in treatment.  However, less is more, and we can influence how the brain responds with just a whisper of pEMF stimulation. Instead of forcing neurons to fire, we are simply nudging them to change the timing of the way they spontaneously fire.

At Aspen Neuro, we believe it is important to listen to the brainwaves and take measurements before we apply current. For this reason, we acquire a QEEG brain map prior to stimulation.


(2):https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304068422_Safety_of_Transcranial_Direct_Current_Stimulation_Evidence_Based_Update_2016
DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2016.06.004