Highlights
- •Although
the home use of tDCS is often referred to as a novel phenomenon, in
reality the late nineteenth and early twentieth century saw a
proliferation of electrical stimulation devices for home use.
- •In
particular, the use of a portable electrotherapy device known as the
“medical battery” bears a number of striking similarities to the
modern-day use of tDCS.
- •Many
features related to the home use tDCS—a do-it-yourself movement,
anti-medical establishment themes, conflicts between lay and
professional usage—are a repetition of themes that occurred a century
ago with regard to the medical battery.
- •A
number of features seem to be unique to the present, such as the
dominant discourse about risk and safety, the division between cranial
and non-cranial stimulation, and utilization for cognitive enhancement
purposes.
- •Viewed in
historical context, the contemporary use of electrical stimulation at
home is not unusual, but rather the latest wave in a series of ongoing
attempts by lay individuals to utilize electricity for therapeutic
purposes.
Abstract
Background
In
recent years, neuroscientists have warned of the dangers of the
unsupervised home use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS),
in which individuals stimulate their own brains with low levels of
electricity for self-improvement purposes. Although the home use of tDCS
is often referred to as a novel phenomenon, in reality the late
nineteenth and early twentieth century saw a proliferation of electrical
stimulation devices for home use. In particular, the use of an object
known as the medical battery bears a number of striking similarities to
the modern-day use of tDCS.
Objective
This article reviews a number of features thought to be unique to the present day home use of brain stimulation, with a particular focus on analogies between tDCS and the medical battery.
Methods
Archival research was conducted at the Bakken Museum and at the American Medical Association's Historical Health Fraud Archives.
Results
Many
of the features characterizing the contemporary home use tDCS—a
do-it-yourself (DIY) movement, anti-medical establishment themes,
conflicts between lay and professional usage—are a repetition of themes
that occurred a century ago with regard to the medical battery. A number
of features, however, seem to be unique to the present, such as the
dominant discourse about risk and safety, the division between cranial
and non-cranial stimulation, and utilization for cognitive enhancement
purposes.
Conclusion(s)
Viewed in the
long durée, the contemporary use of electrical stimulation at home is
not a novel phenomenon, but rather the latest wave in a series of
ongoing attempts by lay individuals to utilize electricity for
therapeutic purposes.
Article Info
No comments:
Post a Comment