# Can you increase action potential in the brain with electrostimulation **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-increase-action-potential-in-the-brain-with-electrostimulation/680287 "2014-02-01T17:25:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-increase-action-potential-in-the-brain-with-electrostimulation/680287/1 "2014-02-01T17:25:58Z")
There are devices that are both tcds and tms that lower the action potential in various parts of the brain to treat illnesses, improve cognition, etc. So what about the opposite, are there interventions that can increase the threshold of action potential in parts of the brain to make those neurons fire more slowly? If so, what therapeutic (both psychological and physical) would those kinds of interventions hold? It is my understanding that the ratio of activity in the left and right prefrontal cortex can influence moods. The more activity in the left and the less in the right = higher emotional states. So lowering the action potential in the left and raising it in the right could be a treatment for depression. Using TMS on the left prefrontal cortex is used to treat depression. I know there are some devices that use TCDS on both the left and right prefrontal cortex to increase cognition. But I don’t know if anything can be done to increase the action potential in various parts of the brain for therapeutic purposes. Does anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-increase-action-potential-in-the-brain-with-electrostimulation/680287/2 "2014-02-01T20:16:44Z")
I do not think you have an accurate grasp of the concept of “[action potential](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_potential)” as used in neuroscience. Most of your post seems to be based on woo, and is largely gibberish. It is true that TMS can be used to treat depression, although I do not think the mechanism by which it works is well understood. Certainly it is not a matter of “lowering the action potential in the left [prefrontal cortex] and raising it in the right”, which is meaningless. It is a pretty good rule of thumb that people who make an issue about the difference between the left and right brain (unless, perhaps, they are talking strictly about language processing) are generally either charlatans or their dupes. What _have_ you been reading? I thought you were too smart a guy to fall for this sort of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-increase-action-potential-in-the-brain-with-electrostimulation/680287/3 "2014-02-01T21:07:43Z")
I’m very drunk and don’t care about fact checking. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-increase-action-potential-in-the-brain-with-electrostimulation/680287/4 "2014-02-01T21:43:27Z")
Well, at least there is one factual statement in your post. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-increase-action-potential-in-the-brain-with-electrostimulation/680287/5 "2014-02-02T17:15:48Z")
I should’ve checked wikipedia first > **[Transcranial direct-current stimulation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcranial_direct-current_stimulation#Types_of_stimulation)** > > Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of neuromodulation that uses constant, low direct current delivered via electrodes on the head. This type of neurotherapy was originally developed to help patients with brain injuries or neuropsychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder. It can be contrasted with cranial electrotherapy stimulation, which generally uses alternating current the same way, as well as transcranial magnetic stimulation. > Research shows increasing evid... > [@](#): > > There are three different types of stimulation: anodal, cathodal, and sham. The anodal stimulation is positive (V+) stimulation that increases the neuronal excitability of the area being stimulated. Cathodal (V-) stimulation decreases the neuronal excitability of the area being stimulated. Cathodal stimulation can treat psychological disorders that are caused by the hyper-activity of an area of the brain. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-increase-action-potential-in-the-brain-with-electrostimulation/680287/6 "2014-02-02T18:04:53Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > It is a pretty good rule of thumb that people who make an issue about the difference between the left and right brain (unless, perhaps, they are talking strictly about language processing) are generally either charlatans or their dupes. I did some googling because I was wondering if this is true and immediately found these (and others) which support the OP regarding a relationship between depression and activity in the hemispheres: [Depression and the hyperactive right-hemisphere.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20603163) [Left Frontal Hypoactivation in Depression (PDF)](http://brainimaging.waisman.wisc.edu/publications/1991/left%20frontal%20hypoactivation.pdf) [Atypical Depression: Enhanced Right Hemispheric Dominance for Perceiving Emotional Chimeric Faces (PDF)](http://psychophysiology.cpmc.columbia.edu/pdf/bruder2002b.pdf) Do you think these scientists are wrong? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-increase-action-potential-in-the-brain-with-electrostimulation/680287/7 "2014-02-02T18:06:37Z")
Well, nothing about action potentials changing there, and my nose still picks up a strong whiff of woot. The following is from the editor’s [talk page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Transcranial_direct-current_stimulation#Overly_broad_claims) at your link: > [@](#): > > This is a new form of treatment supported by a small foundation in published literature. This article reads like promotional pamphlets for a TDCS clinic. Disgraceful! ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-increase-action-potential-in-the-brain-with-electrostimulation/680287/8 "2014-02-02T18:12:46Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > I did some googling because I was wondering if this is true and immediately found these (and others) which support the OP regarding a relationship between depression and activity in the hemispheres: > [Depression and the hyperactive right-hemisphere.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20603163) > [Left Frontal Hypoactivation in Depression (PDF)](http://brainimaging.waisman.wisc.edu/publications/1991/left%20frontal%20hypoactivation.pdf) > [Atypical Depression: Enhanced Right Hemispheric Dominance for Perceiving Emotional Chimeric Faces (PDF)](http://psychophysiology.cpmc.columbia.edu/pdf/bruder2002b.pdf) > Do you think these scientists are wrong? Probably, but even if not, it is still a good rule of thumb. Also, Google can probably find you a peer reviewed paper or two somewhere or other supporting just about any whacky idea you can imagine. When it is 100 papers, there may be something in it. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-increase-action-potential-in-the-brain-with-electrostimulation/680287/9 "2014-02-02T20:06:24Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Probably, but even if not, it is still a good rule of thumb. > > Also, Google can probably find you a peer reviewed paper or two somewhere or other supporting just about any whacky idea you can imagine. When it is 100 papers, there may be something in it. Well, I didn’t read all 17,000 scholarly articles for lateral asymmetric hemisphere activation and depression - but every single one I read supported the OP. You questioned the OP like he was reading something other than what is supported by scientific studies - implying it has been studied and is simply not supported. Do you have any data so support your position that all of these scientists are wrong?