A Quest for Control of the Visceral Brain - The Emotional Brain: A New Paradigm for the Twenty-first Century, Transcranial Brain Stimulation-Modulation

In his doctoral dissertation, Dr. Alves discusses the effects of transcranial brain stimulation (TBS) and proposes a new noninvasive method. Through his own brain mapping and low-dose stimulation (below seizure threshold) with electric, magnetic and laser beams, Dr. Alves believes that TBS can substantially lessen the symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as OCD and major depression, as well as chronic pain, epilepsy, and even Parkinson's disease and stroke.

For the patients who do not respond or cannot tolerate traditional medications, his noninvasive method could replace other invasive neurosurgical procedures. Until now it was necessary to produce epileptic seizures for the treatment to be effective, notwithstanding the problems associated with traditional brain stimulation, such as memory loss.

As researchers learn more about the generation and expression of emotions, this may become the preferred treatment in the future.