Neuroelectricity: The Past, Present, and Future of Brain Stimulation

Electrical stimulation of the brain has a long and checkered history. The first human experiment took place in 1874 and was a disaster, ending in the patient's death. But researchers learned from their mistakes and gradually developed the techniques in use today, including deep brain stimulation to treat Parkinson's disease, magnetic stimulation to improve mood, and implants designed to restore hearing or vision. Scientists have also used brain stimulation to manipulate animal behavior. Cats have launched furious assaults provoked by nothing but brain stimulation, and rats have pressed a lever for hours to deliver a spurt of current into a "pleasure center." But were the cats really feeling rage, and were the rats really feeling pleasure? The results of brain stimulation experiments are often more complex than they seem. What about the future? Will brain stimulation become more common in clinical treatments? Can it be used to spark creativity, or spot a criminal? Should we be worried about mind control, or more subtle forms of manipulation? This book explores the past to help explain the present trends and then speculates on what the future may hold. About the Author: Kyle Kirkland earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and has worked on projects involving models of the brain as well as brain stimulation experiments. He is now a writer of science fact and fiction.