TDCS-KIT

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TDCS KIT
TDCS kit.jpg
Category Brain stimulation
Developer www.tdcs-kit.com
Announced unknown
Released Developers: unknown
Consumers: unknown
Price 39.95 USD
Max output 22 T
2 mA
0.002 A
mA
Session duration 2020 s
0.333 minute
min
Scalp location temple
Weight g unknown
Controls

switch

Data available
Risk factor
Medical prescription no
www.tdcs-kit.com

The Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation kit (TDCS-kit) is a specific model of an electronic device used to enhance human cognition and help patients with brain injuries or psychiatric conditions like major depressive disorder.[1]

  • It is "a drug free (DIY) method to increase Concentration as well as relief for Depression, Anxiety and Migraines."[2]

The functionality of the device is based on the method known as Transcranial direct-current stimulation, which the brain and particular neurons are stimulated by, with a constant current via electrodes mounted on the scalp.[3]
The kit is delivered as Do-It-Yourself (DIY) solution and must be assembled by the customer. The reseller also disclaims all of responsibility and consequences caused by using the device.[2]

http://www.tdcs-kit.com/

Main characteristics

The tDCS-kit is a type of device, which directly modulate brain function. It is combination of pieces of equipment that is sold and used as Do-It-Yourself solution to enhance human cognitive funcitons (eg memory, attention, learning).[4]
tDCS is a type on noninvasive neuromodulation, which delivers weak direct current to the brain using small saline-soaked electordes. It is recommended to use intensity of 1-2 milliapm applied for 10-20 minutes 3 times per week. This stimulation excite or inhibit the sensori-motor cortex and the effect should last over an hour. Excitation is achieved by anodal (+) RED stimulation, which increases beta and gamma activity in the visual cortex. Inhibition is achieved by cathodal (-) BLACK stimulation, which decreases beta and gamma activity. [5] An electrode should be put over the brain function region and the other electrode on the shoulder and it is necessary to use some gel, saline or water under the electrodes. The electrodes should be kept away from the chest and the eye areas.[6]

Each kit includes:[7]

  • 1 Power Supply Unit
  • 2 2”x2” Long Lasting, Wet/Dry, Silver Cloth, foam-backed Electrodes
  • 1 1” Silver Cloth Electrode
  • 1 Storage bag
  • 1 HD or Gamers splitter wire
  • 1 Ear clip Ground Electrode.

Instructions for the right placement of the electrodes are available as links[8] [9] [10]on the website of the seller just as the brain maps.[11] [12] People, who want to use the tDCS device at home for treatment or as a cognitive enhancer should follow instructions given by the seller. There is a manual[6] available after buying a tDCS-kit, which contains also the brain maps and warning not to use the device in case of any implants, especially pacemakers. The guide does not replace any medical advice and the treatment should be discussed with a doctor. Thus the right application depends on the customer self-study of the brain areas and particular functions. See more about the Transcranial direct-current stimulation as a method itself.
This kit is not medical device and the producer offer no medical advice:

„Do-It-Yourself means It is your responsibility“[6]

Purpose

The main purpose of TDCS-KIT is to enhance human cognitive abilities. This device should have positive effect on concentration, anxiety, migraines, memory, math reasoning, verbal proficiency, pain management, stroke recovery, Parkinson’s and Schizophrenia.[2]

Company & People

No details about the seller of tDCS-kit are available, one possible way how to find out who stands behind the product is sending a query over WHOIS protocol, which obtains the information about the registration of website domain.
The result of WHOIS query (shortened): [13]

  • Registrant Name: James Watson
  • Registrant State/Province: Texas
  • Registrant Country: US

Important Dates

  • September 2012 - The internet domain tDCS-kit.com was registered.[13]
  • June 2014 - Facebook profile of tDCS-kit.com was created.
  • November 2014 - Twitter profile was created.
  • January 2015 - The video explaining how to get started using the tDCS-Kit device was uploaded to the manufacturer youtube channel. [14]

Enhancement/Therapy/Treatment

This method should be effective for depression, chronic pain, it may enhance human cognition. Studies claim, that tDCS enhances everything from creative-problem solving to the improvement of motor skills. [15] These information are available about the particular method, which should be used as a medical treatment, but not as a DIY device at home. Although the effects of tDCS kit devices are described as “improve your attention”, “boost your memory,” “amp your mind,” or “power up?”, these are only advertising slogans to sell the product, but the scientists are warning againts using kits at home. For example in article: "Transcranial devices are not playthings.[16]

Ethical & Health Issues

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) kit is a simple means of brain stimulation, which is relatively safe, inexpensive and effective, but in fact, there are some ethical and health issues related to the device. There is currently no evidence of serious side-effects by using tDCS kit, but 'there are still significant potential risks of misusing this device, and its long-term effects on the brain have not been fully explored' [15]

These kits are widely available without medical prescription and the users of DIY devices may not have sufficient knowledge on the structure of brain to place the electrodes accurately, what can cause unintended effects. Reversing of anodal and cathodal electrodes placement could lead to other results and there is a risk of brain impairment. Using this method without medical supervision can influence other treatment that DIY users are undergoing. [17] These problems are related to the current lack of regulation. In this case, the users can have the impression, that there are no significant risks associated with buying and using this device. Thus the solution of these ethical problems is the cognitive enhancement devices to be regulated in the same way as medical devices.[18] 'A response to the policy and regulatory aspects of tDCS is urgently needed.'[19] Some devices for neurostimulation are already subject to FDA regulation and are classified as medical devices as, for example, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, in 2011 [15]

And last but not least using of tDCS kit like a form of human cognitive enhancement could change human psyche, this could be deemed as an intervention in human nature. That influences social status and many other issues related to it.

Side effects

According to the study, in which the users of tDCS kits were asking about the side effects, was experiented headache, sickness, fatigue, nervousness, visual perceptual changes, acute mood changes, difficulties in concentration, sleeping disturbance and itching or burning under the electrodes. [15] Just as the positive effects on cognitive functions are these side effects very individual and there can be also placebo effects.

The burnings after using tDCS kit are the most common side effects.[20]

The users of tDCS device kits should obtain detailed information about the mechanisms, risks and effects (including the side effects) of the device, but this information is not described by the seller, who also disclaims all of responsibility and consequences caused by using the device.[2]

Public & Media Impact and Presentation

The amount of information on tDCS available to the public has increased dramatically in recent years in both academic literature and print media articles.[19]There are some difference between information given by media and manufactures and by scientists. The technique has caused excitement in the lay public and academia as a ‘‘portable, painless, inexpensive and safe’’ therapeutic and enhancement device. [21]'The manufacturers claim that the tDCS headset will “overclock your brain”, "increase your brain’s plasticity" and “make your synapses fire faster”.[22] The media have enthusiastically reported that tDCS could be used to enhance cognitive function and allure potencial users with headlines such a[19]

  • Got a problem – put your electrical thinking cap on (Guardian Unlimited, February 2, 2011)
  • A zap to brain to bring out the genius in you (The Press Trust of India, February 3, 2011)
  • Zen and the art of genius (New Scientist, February 4, 2012)
  • Zap your way out of depression (Timaru Herald, February 14, 2013)
  • Therapies replace electroshock (Montreal Gazette,October 9, 2010)

While in the years 2010-2013 was tDCS DIY an absolute boom, since 2013 have appeared also warning articles making an appeal not to use tDCS devices at home. Since the New York Times article in October 2013 has described tDCS devices as ‘jump starter kits for the mind’[23], the number of tDCS articles published per year has been growing rapidly. For example BBC warns in 2014 [24]and also tried to contact one of the distributor for further comment but did not receive any reply. In 2015 warns The Guardian [25] There are still DIY enthusiastics for example on YouTube[26], MTV editor Mary H K Choi wrote an amusing but inconclusive tDCS self-experimentation piece for Aeon.[27]

Dr. Roi Cohen Kadosh, a leading researcher in this area from the University of Oxford, claims: "The advantage of it is when it is combined with a cognitive training, rather than just applied alone to the brain,” [21] He warns also in the BBC news, that „You need to know how long to stimulate, at what time to stimulate and what intensity to use.“ [28], what could be a problem by DIY users. Marom Bikson and colleagues warn in the International weekly journal of science “Transcranial devices are not playthings”. In his article, he also compares using of tDCS devices to the danger of chemical drugs.[16]

Although there are several websites on the internet, where the tDCS kits are sold, this one on [1] provides in comparison to the others very few information and on the website are more links to the advertising articles. In the discussion on the reddit website[29]the users don´t recommend the tDCS-kit because of burnings after the using of electrodes, as was mentioned in the side effects section above.

Public Policy

These kits are not regulated and are available without medical prescription to anyone, but 'a response to the policy and regulatory aspects of tDCS is urgently needed'.[19] 'Some neurostimulation devices are already classified and regulated as medical devices by FDA. For example, in 2011, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.' [15] There is a need of regulation of tDCS devices.[18]

Related Technologies, Projects or Scientific Research

Along with tDCS method, there are other techniques under research, which concern neuropsychiatric disorders issues. A study [30] mentions three noninvasive brain stimulating technologies. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).
There are many other DIY kits using tDCS method, for example:

  • The BrainStimulator[31]
  • The Apex Device[32]

As the first device used for transcranial direct-current stimulation, the GoFlow device developed by students at the University of Michigan is considered. [33]

There is a DIY tDCS users community, who share information about tDCS on two major websites: www.reddit.com/r/tDCS and www.diytdcs.com. It is also available a study[15] on this community from 2015. In this study 97 out of 121 respondents demand an official guideline from government or experts fot the DIY users of tDCS.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for depression". NICE. August 2015. Available online at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg530. (Retrieved 10.11.2016)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 TDCS-kit.com. Available online at: http://www.tdcs-kit.com/. (Retrieved 17.10.2016)
  3. ↑ UTZ, K.S.; DIMOVA, V.; OPENLÄNDER, K.; KERKHOFF, G. "Electrified minds: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) as methods of non-invasive brain stimulation in neuropsychology—A review of current data and future implications". Neuropsychologia. 2010. 48(10) (Retrieved 4.12.2016)
  4. ↑ MASLEN, H.; DOUGLAS, T.; COHEN KADOSH, R.; LEVY N.; SAVULESCU, J. The regulation of cognitive enhancement devices: extending the medical model. Journal of Law and the Biosciences. 2014. 1(1), 68-93. ISSN 20539711. Available online at: https://academic.oup.com/jlb/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/jlb/lst003. (Retrieved 5.12.2016)
  5. ↑ TDCS-kit.com. Available online at: http://www.tdcs-kit.com/about/. (Retrieved 17.10.2016)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 tDCS-kit Information Manual. Available online at: http://www.tdcs-kit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/tDCS_guide-0914.pdf.(Retrieved 4.12.16)
  7. ↑ TDCS-kit.com. Available online at: http://www.tdcs-kit.com/buy-the-kit/. (Retrieved 17.10.2016)
  8. ↑ http://tdcsplacements.com/(Retrieved 4.12.2016)
  9. ↑ http://www.jove.com/video/2744/electrode-positioning-montage-transcranial-direct-current (Retrieved 4.12.2016)
  10. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwGIF5aCnqg
  11. ↑ http://www.trans-cranial.com/local/manuals/10_20_pos_man_v1_0_pdf.pdf (Retrieved 4.12.2016)
  12. ↑ http://www.brain-maps.com/index.html (Retrieved 4.12.2016)
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Available online at: http://www.whois.com/whois/tdcs-kit.com (Retrieved 4.12.2016)
  14. ↑ Available online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_azCAJtWBi0 (Retrieved 4.12.2016)
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 JWA, A. Early adopters of the magical thinking cap: a study on do-it-yourself (DIY) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) user community. Journal of Law and the Biosciences. 2015. 2(2), 292-335. ISSN 20539711. Available online at: http://jlb.oxfordjournals.org/lookup/doi/10.1093/jlb/lsv017. (Retrieved 7.11.2016)
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 BIKSON, M.; BESTMANN, S.; EDWARDS, D. Neuroscience: Transcranial devices are not playthings. Nature. 2013. 501(7466), 167-167. ISSN 00280836. Available online at: http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/501167b. (Retrieved 8.11.2016)
  17. ↑ FITZ, N.S.; REINER, P.B. The challenge of crafting policy for do-it-yourself brain stimulation. Journal of Medical Ethics. 2015. 41(5), 410-412. ISSN 0306-6800. Available online at: http://jme.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/medethics-2013-101458 (Retrieved 7.11.2016)
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 MASLEN, H.; DOUGLAS, T.; KADOSH,R.C.; LEVY, N.; SAVULESCU, J. Do-it-yourself brain stimulation: a regulatory model. Journal of Medical Ethics. 2015. 41(5), 413-414. ISSN 03066800. Available online at: http://jme.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/medethics-2013-101692 (Retrieved 7.11.2016)
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 DUBLJEVIĆ, V.; SAIGLE, V.; RACINE, V. The Rising Tide of tDCS in the Media and Academic Literature. Neuron. 2014. 82(4), 731-736. ISSN 08966273. Available online at: http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0896627314003894 (Retrieved 7.11.2016)
  20. ↑ Available online at: https://www.reddit.com/r/tDCS/comments/4qx8ic/psa_sticky_electrodes_and_skin_burns/ (Retrieved 7.11.2016)
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 KADOSH, R.C.; LEVY, N.; O'SHEA, J.; SHEA, N.; SAVULESCU, J. The neuroethics of non-invasive brain stimulation. Current Biology. 2012. 22(4). ISSN 09609822. Available online at: http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0960982212000140. (Retrieved 8.11.2016)
  22. ↑ JARRETT, Ch. Read this before your brain stimulation. Availabe online at: https://www.wired.com/2014/01/read-zapping-brain/ (Retrieved 8.11.2016)
  23. ↑ MURPHY, K. Jump-starter kits for the mind. The New York Times. 2013. Available online at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/science/jump-starter-kits-for-the-mind.html (Retrieved 8.11.2016)
  24. ↑ BBC. 2014. Available online at: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-27343047 (Retrieved 8.11.2016)
  25. ↑ The Guardian. 2015. Available online at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/shortcuts/2015/may/06/warning-transcranial-direct-current-stimulation-bad-for-iq (Retrieved 8.11.2016)
  26. ↑ YouTube. 2012. Available online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgFWEBwT6BE (Retrieved 8.11.2016)
  27. ↑ Aeon. 2013. Available online at: https://aeon.co/essays/would-dabbling-in-cranial-stimulation-make-me-smarter (Retrieved 8.11.2016)
  28. ↑ BBC. 2014. Available online at: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-27343047 (Retrieved 8.11.2016)
  29. ↑ Reddit. 2016. Available online at: https://www.reddit.com/r/tDCS/comments/4b350g/has_anybody_here_used_the_tdcskitcom_kit/?sort=new (Retrieved 16.2.2016)
  30. ↑ GEORGE, M. ;ASTON-JONES, S. Noninvasive techniques for probing neurocircuitry and treating illness: vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Neuropsychopharmacology. 2009. 35(1), 301-316. ISSN 0893133x. Available online at: http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/npp.2009.87 (Retrieved 5.12.2016)
  31. ↑ The BrainStimulator. Available online at: https://thebrainstimulator.net (Retrieved 5.12.16)
  32. ↑ The Apex Device. Available online at: https://apexdevice.net/ (Retrieved 5.12.16)
  33. ↑ WEXLER, A. A pragmatic analysis of the regulation of consumer transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) devices in the United States. Journal of Law and the Biosciences. 12.10.2015. Available online at: http://jlb.oxfordjournals.org/content/2/3/669.full.pdf+html (Retrieved 5.12.16)
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