Brain (science news) Stimulation for Athlete Performance

November 19th, 2008 Admin Posted in Your source for sciene news and information |

By Robert Webb

Neurotechnology describes the field of technology used to manipulate and measure brain processes. In the future, will athletes increasingly begin to neurotechnology methods to get an edge over their competition? Athletes may be able to use non-invasive brain stimulation to alter their brain functioning for a beneficial effect. Already scientists have used a brain stimulation method called transcranial direct current stimulation tDCS (a non-invasive way to electrically stimulate the brain) to reduce the fatigue associated with exercise.

Transcranial direct current stimulation uses a small amount of electricity to stimulate the brain. It can be used on a person while they are wide awake and conscious. Neuromuscular fatigue is defined as the exercise dependent decrease in a person’s ability of thier muscle fibres to generate some force. Researchers discovered that anodal tDCS (that can activate localized brain areas) was able to decrease the subject’s fatigue related muscle pain. The scientists also found that anodal tDCS was able to improve the endurance time by modulating directly the brain’s excitabiliy. It was able to increase motivation, decrease fatigue related muscle pain and finally improving muscle coupling.

Another neurotechnology method to manipulate the brain is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Transcranial magnetic stimulation uses electromagnetism to stimulate specific areas of the brain. In the past it has been used to improve the working memory deficits that are associated with sleep deprivation. Working memory is a person’s general concentration and ability to store/manipulate information. So this transcranial magnetic stimulation in theory might be able improve an athletes concentration when they are fatigued. Transcranial magnetic stimulation could also be used to enhance a person’s regular concentration as well.

Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation can reach deeper into the brain than conventional TMS. Deep TMS may be able to non-invasively stimulate the reward related regions of the brain. Doing this type of brain manipulation may actually enable researchers to artificially induce a stimulant or euphoric like effect in an athlete by selectively activating specific brain regions. This type of effect would be beneficial for a long term endurance type of sport where a huge boost in mood is necessary for having an optimal performance. Deep TMS may also be used to target a variety of different regions to improve specific performance tasks.

The banned substance list that goes along with the recent olympic games does not actually have any mention about using non-invasive brain stimulation. However both transcranial direct current stimulation or transcranial magnetic stimulation may eventually find increasing use by certain athletes in the future. Right now, it still may be a little too early to actually assess how useful these new types of neurtechnologies would be for athlete’s performance.

As for cheating, using these neurotechnologies would be almost impossible to detect. Their wouldn’t be any drug tests that could detect when a person had undergone this type of treatment. The on and only plausible method of detecting this type of brain manipulation might be from a brain scan. So using neurotechnology could be a very effective way of brain doping while at the same time sidestepping negative penalties from a regulatory body. Using these types of brain stimulation methods for athletes is all speculative of course, and it is currently unclear if any of these types of brain manipulation would actually have enough of an effect on performance to be worthwhile.

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Computer Simulation of the Human Brain
By Robert Webb

Researchers have recently constructed a new computer model of the cortex of the human brain. This model is similar in principle to the more well known Blue Brain computer model, but it simulates a much larger area of the brain. It actually less detailed at the neuron level when compared to Blue Brain. The Blue Brain project has already simulated a section of the rat’s brain that is named the neocortex. The Blue Brain computer simulation has successfully modeled approximately 10,000 neurons including near 30 million synapses.

This other computer simulation, however, has successfully modeled about a trillion neurons and almost a quadrillion synapses. This specific computer model is able to model the entire thalamo-cortical system of a mammillian brain. Apparently, the researchers have made of simulation of this brain region because is is involved in creating concious awareness.

An interesting thing that the scientsts have noted from this computer model is that they witnessed the recreation of larger-scale oscillatory activity (i.e. brain waves). They merely emerged as a function of the computer model and were not programmed into it. This basically means that this computer simulation actually was ble to replicate the way a regular brain would look like on an EEG readout. This is an indication that this method of simulating the brain is actually working as it should.

This computer simulation of the human brain will allow scientists to carry out a variety of different experiments that are not currently possible to do. It will enable researchers to gain a much better insight into the workings of the brain. Things that are normally very hard to do on brain wetware may easily be done on the computer model. Researchers will have much more leeway in carrying out different experiments on this virtual brain. The computer model will allow scientists to carry out experiments that are impossible from a physical or ethical standpoint.

This computer model will enable the simulation of almost any type of brain disorder. This is a very exciting possiblity that could help a tremendous amount of people. Researchers intend to investigate disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other psychiatric disorders. The scientists also intend to investigate the effects of pharmaceutical drugs on this computer brain model. This may lead to faster FDA approval for brain drugs.

The researchers also want to learn more about consciousness and how it is constructed. I have serious doubts as to whether the computer model will actually be able to model consciousness. However, this new computer model will likely give scientists a much greater understanding of how the human brain functions. Overall, the research is extremely interesting and it has quite a few potential benefits in advancing our knowledge of the brain.

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Cognitive Drug to Enhance Brain Functioning
By Robert Webb

A pharmaceutical company is now currently working on a new drug that may be able to be used as a cognitive enhancer. In theory it could improve a person’s working memory. Working memory is the process by which the brain can temporarily store and also manipulate certain information, such as remembering a phone number. This specific drug is able to enhance the functioning a dopamine type 1 receptor in the brain. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in the brain that has a variety of functions. Increasing dopamine can often increase mood and a person’s attention by stimulating one of 5 different dopamine receptors. Stimulation of the D1 receptor is extremely important for the proper functioning of a person’s working memory. Under stimulation of these types of receptors leads to the cognitive dysfunction that is often found in those with attention deficit disorder.

Enhancing D1 receptor activity may allow a person to have an improved attention span. Improper D1 receptor functioning is also correlated with what are called “negative” schizophrenic symptoms. Negative schizophrenic symptoms include lack or decline in speech, apathy, emotional blunting and poor social motivation. A person with negative schizophrenia may have enormous social difficulties. So this new pharmaceutical compound may be able to improve several specific schizophrenic symptoms. Working memory can decline as a person ages due to a reduction in D1 receptor number. So this new pharmaceutical compound may be able to improve cognitive problems that are correlated with old age.

The new drug is actually an inhibitor of a new intracellular target that can increase activity of the D1 receptor in brain cells. Preclinical data has already shown that it may treat a wide variety of disorders such as schizophrenia, ADHD, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. All of these disorders may have improved cognitive functioning after using this drug.

Increasing activation of the D1 receptor may also have a positive impact on a person’s mood. Increasing dopamine is known to enhance a person’s pleasure response via the mesolimbic system of the brain. This new drug should not induce psychoses which can be induced by a dopamine type 2 enhancer sometimes. If this drug gains FDA approval it should be very useful for a variety of brain ailments. It may be used to increase cognition, functioning and improve a person’s mood. It may also be used by regular people to improve normal cognitive functioning on the job or at school.

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