Electrical impulses boost the brain’s self-repair mode

In 10 seconds? Electrical brain stimulation – used to treat certain mental disorders – could complement current and limited rehabilitation methods after a stroke. Research shows this method can create new ‘paths’ that help the brain regain lost skills.

What’s the story? We are talking about ‘neuroplasticity’ or the brain’s ability to heal itself. Interestingly, research has shown that some medications prescribed for mental disorders can be linked to neuroplasticity and reverse the reduction of hippocampal grey matter that accompanies PTSD and depression and similar results were reported in lab animals treated with electroconvulsive treatment (ECT). Scientists have also been studying how electrical stimulation – used as a therapy for treatment-resistant bipolar disorder and depression - can help regrow neural connections in the brain.