The science behind why electrically stimulating the brain appears to aid memory and thinking abilities is still in the early stages, Wexner noted. “They weren’t too pleased that individuals were essentially using the same technology as they were doing but doing it at home, so using similar devices to stimulate their own brains with low levels of electricity at home,” she said. “But other reasons people used it for were for enhancement, so to improve focus, to improve memory, things like that.”Īt-home brain stimulation began in earnest in the early 2010s, Wexler said, despite pushback from clinicians and scientists, who were concerned about safety. “Depression and anxiety are the top two indications for people,” Wexler said. She's found that people are using the devices to treat mental health disorders or to improve mental performance. “We need to better understand what these tools can do including any unintended consequences they may have.” Science in its early stagesĪnna Wexler, an assistant professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania, studies why and how people use brain stimulation at home. “We are talking about injecting electricity into someone’s brain. Many of them are marketed as having clearance from the Food and Drug Administration, which entails a less rigorous review process than what’s needed for FDA approval.ĭespite their growing popularity, many scientists oppose the use of the devices at home because not much is known about their safety in the long term, said Robert Reinhart, a neuroscientist at Boston University. They are usually no bigger than a television remote or a smartphone batteries, head caps and straps, saline and other accessories needed to send the weak pulses of electricity to the brain are sometimes sold separately. The at-home devices are available online and typically range in cost from as little as $40 to around $500. Others credit it as a way to achieve deeper meditative states or mental clarity. But the use of at-home brain stimulation devices is flourishing among a group of enthusiasts, who say it enhances their mental state and gives them an edge, like on an upcoming exam or a project at work. Medical uses of brain stimulation typically take place in hospitals or doctors' offices. These electrodes send tiny electrical impulses through the skull to the brain. Most brain stimulating techniques involve placing electrodes - conductors through which electricity travels - on certain parts of a person’s head. “It helped wake me up a little bit and get things going,” he said. Gibbons, 32, of New York City, had heard it could be used to alleviate symptoms of brain fog. Another version, deep brain stimulation, involves surgically implanting electrodes in the brain, and has been used for years to ease symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Some of its uses are well-established: transcranial magnetic stimulation is used in hospitals and clinics as a way to treat depression. Travis Sawchik wrote a wonderful profile of Tom House at The Score.Brain stimulation comes in many different forms, but they are all centered on the same idea: sending tiny zaps to specific parts of the brain to alter its activity.“But the cumulative effect of shorter games over the course of 162 games could be substantial.” “A single game wrapping up 20 or 25 minutes earlier than they are accustomed to does not make much of a difference,” he wrote. Anthony Castrovince at MLB.com dug deep into whether the new pitch clock in MLB could led to health benefits.With the door now a little more open to non-Hall-of-Famers to have their numbers retired by the Dodgers - for the record, Kasten on Saturday did not rule out the possibility of more to come - Jon Weisman in his Slayed by Voices newsletter shined a light on a quartet of other Dodgers who could fit the bill to have their numbers retired by the team. That convinced us this was the right thing to do.” In Bill Plunkett’s Orange County Register story on Valenzuela’s number retirement, he included this quote from team president and CEO Stan Kasten: “But the question I get more than any other is about retiring Fernando’s jersey. “But to be part of it now, and being there when they retire his number, it’s going to be a really special moment.” “I didn’t grow up in his era,” said current Dodgers Mexican left-handed starting pitcher Julio Urías, per Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic. It has become the House that Fernando Built.” “Its largely Latino fan base is a result of growth that began with Valenzuela. “More than 40 years later, Dodger Stadium looks more like Los Angeles than any other sports venue in this city,” wrote Bill Plaschke at the Los Angeles Times. So let’s look around for some reactions to the long overdue honor. The big news of the weekend at FanFest was the Dodgers deciding to retire Fernando Valenzuela’s number 34 later this summer.
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