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I'm actually a PhD student studying this exact technology in Germany. I can say without a doubt that this type of stimulation has proven potential in enhancing

I'm actually a PhD student studying this exact technology in Germany. I can say without a doubt that this type of stimulation has proven potential in enhancing cognitive functions (if proper protocol and safety aspects are respected). This is a really exciting field which I think will really explode in the next few years once the montage and paradigms are optimized (which is exactly what I'm working on!)

tassl 13y ago
Can you point to some (respected) publications on the field that can prove cognitive enhancement?
- toomuchtodo 13y ago
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=transcranial+direct+current+stimulation http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=transcranial+direct...
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
toomuchtodo 13y ago
As an IT professional with enough EE knowledge to be dangerous, I've used a home made version to increase the rate at which I learn foreign languages.
- yathern 13y ago
  Care to shed more information on this? How well did it work? Were the effects long term or temporary?
  - toomuchtodo 13y ago
    Sure. Ask away. It worked extremely well. I feel that I typically have a very hard time concentrating on learning new skills due to day-to-day constant context switching (I'm a Sysadmin/Devops by day). I use Modafinil to focus and tCDS to boost my skills acquisition/retention rate. I haven't done any sort of study on myself to measure control vs tCDS time, but I definitely "feel" an increased rate of moving up the skills ladder (in this case, learning French, Spanish, and Russian).
    - burningion 13y ago
      What was the process for getting a source for Modafinil, and what makes you sure you were getting a net benefit, beyond just the ability to focus? For example, one of the potential drawbacks from focus drugs is that you lose creativity. What makes you sure your were getting a net win? I'm very skeptical that there is really such a thing as a free lunch when it comes to synthetic cognitive enhancements. That being said, I do believe physical fitness, diet, and adequate sleep seem to be massive cognitive enhancers when correctly applied.
      - toomuchtodo 13y ago
        www.reddit.com/r/nootropics I selected a provider (who ships from India) based on reviews from this sub-reddit. They accept my payments in bitcoins. I haven't noticed a loss in creativity, but I think creativity in itself is something extremely difficult to measure or quantify. I attempted to join experiments being done by several labs across the country (with regards to tCDS), and was declined by all. It was then I went on to do it myself. I agree with your last statement completely. I work no more than 8 hours a day, get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night now, and eat in a much more healthy fashion.
    - yathern 13y ago
      Very interesting. Had you learned any language / had experience trying to learn a new language before this? How is your current knowledge of French, Spanish and Russian, and how long did it take to reach that level? As someone who has an incredibly hard time learning languages, this intrigues me greatly (not that I'm necessarily interested in trying this)
jasonkolb 13y ago
My father in law had a stroke about a year back and I looked into this to see if anyone was doing any research into stimulating parts of the brain which were harmed. I wasn't able to find much. I'm curious if you've ever seen anyone studying therapeutic uses for this technology?

tassl 13y ago

Can you point to some (respected) publications on the field that can prove cognitive enhancement?

toomuchtodo 13y ago
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=transcranial+direct+current+stimulation http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=transcranial+direct...

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

toomuchtodo 13y ago

As an IT professional with enough EE knowledge to be dangerous, I've used a home made version to increase the rate at which I learn foreign languages.

yathern 13y ago
Care to shed more information on this? How well did it work? Were the effects long term or temporary?
- toomuchtodo 13y ago
  Sure. Ask away. It worked extremely well. I feel that I typically have a very hard time concentrating on learning new skills due to day-to-day constant context switching (I'm a Sysadmin/Devops by day). I use Modafinil to focus and tCDS to boost my skills acquisition/retention rate. I haven't done any sort of study on myself to measure control vs tCDS time, but I definitely "feel" an increased rate of moving up the skills ladder (in this case, learning French, Spanish, and Russian).
  - burningion 13y ago
    What was the process for getting a source for Modafinil, and what makes you sure you were getting a net benefit, beyond just the ability to focus? For example, one of the potential drawbacks from focus drugs is that you lose creativity. What makes you sure your were getting a net win? I'm very skeptical that there is really such a thing as a free lunch when it comes to synthetic cognitive enhancements. That being said, I do believe physical fitness, diet, and adequate sleep seem to be massive cognitive enhancers when correctly applied.
    - toomuchtodo 13y ago
      www.reddit.com/r/nootropics I selected a provider (who ships from India) based on reviews from this sub-reddit. They accept my payments in bitcoins. I haven't noticed a loss in creativity, but I think creativity in itself is something extremely difficult to measure or quantify. I attempted to join experiments being done by several labs across the country (with regards to tCDS), and was declined by all. It was then I went on to do it myself. I agree with your last statement completely. I work no more than 8 hours a day, get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night now, and eat in a much more healthy fashion.
  - yathern 13y ago
    Very interesting. Had you learned any language / had experience trying to learn a new language before this? How is your current knowledge of French, Spanish and Russian, and how long did it take to reach that level? As someone who has an incredibly hard time learning languages, this intrigues me greatly (not that I'm necessarily interested in trying this)

jasonkolb 13y ago

My father in law had a stroke about a year back and I looked into this to see if anyone was doing any research into stimulating parts of the brain which were harmed. I wasn't able to find much. I'm curious if you've ever seen anyone studying therapeutic uses for this technology?