Transcranial Stimulation for Asperger's

Here are a few more articles discussing the use of transcranial stimulation to treat Asperger's. We are on the cusp of a revolution in neurotherapy. In a few years patients will go to brain therapy clinics as frequently as they go to physical therapy today.

Another exciting idea is to combine nutritional and/or drug dosages with transcranial stimulation. Just as physical therapy can repair a frozen shoulder, neurostimulation will be able to repair cognitive impairment and degradation.

Virtual Reality with Transcranial Stimulation

I thought it was still science fiction but a Google search shows multiple medical studies which combine virtual reality with transcranial stimulation.

Effects of the addition of transcranial direct current stimulation to virtual reality therapy

Combination transcranial direct current stimulation and virtual reality therapy

Facilitation of corticospinal excitability by virtual reality exercise following anodal transcranial direct current stimulation

Effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation combined with virtual reality

And it looks like Neuroelectrics is on the verge of commercializing it.

So how soon will Facebook, Microsoft, or Apple combine a virtual reality helmet with transcranial stimulation?  Look for small companies like Neuroelectrics to be acquired by the major players in virtual reality.

Electric Medicine

Continuing with the theme of electronic manipulation of the human body, here is an article by Eliza Strickland at IEEE Spectrum on the push by big pharma into electronic treatment of disease and chronic conditions.  Here's a quote from the article:

Slaoui has led GSK’s major research effort in “electroceuticals,” in which devices treat diseases by sending electric pulses through the body’s nerves. As nerve cells communicate naturally via electric pulses, this technique tries to speak the native language of the nervous system. In an interview with Spectrum before his talk at SXSW Interactive on Friday, Slaoui said he’s convinced that doctors will soon be prescribing such treatments: “The only question is, how many different disease will be treated with bioelectric medicine?”

I wonder if someday people will wear a VR helmet at the doctor's office which inserts nano-electrodes into the spinal column to heal a variety of diseases.  Or maybe they have the helmet at home and the doctor simply sends some code to deliver the appropriate signals.

Then the next logical step is hacking the nervous system.  I'm sure people will soon begin experimenting with a variety of electromagnetic sequences to deliver pleasure, stimulate learning, accelerate athletic ability, and begin our evolution to a posthuman world.