A massive electric shock to the brain can cause brain cells to develop pores and leakage, and then die. Survivors often struggle with subsequent disorientation, disorganization, and, even isolation. In fact, high speed electrical signals are central to the way the mind makes sense of the world. Dr. Charles Stevens is a neurobiologist at the Salk Institute, in La Jolla, California, and a leading researcher in neuroplasticity, often described as the brain's ability to adapt to injury and new demands, or to rewire itself. He joins us to discuss the brain's natural electrical activity.
Nerves communicate through electric signaling.
Brain cells signal electrically to release the chemical neurotransmitters like seratonin and dopamine that are associated with feelings. But psychiatrists are finding new ways to treat depression with far lower doses of electrical stimulation to the brain, through a device called the Vagus Nerve Stimulator. Our next guest is Dr. A. John Rush , Professor of Psychiatry and Chairman for Research at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He is leading a study evaluating the experimental use of the Vagus Nerve Stimulator, already used to combat epilepsy, to treat depression. The device gives mild electric stimulation to the left branch of the vagal nerve, which runs up from the abdomen to the brain stem, carrying information to areas that regulate mood, sleep, and other important functions.