I volunteered to take part in TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.
The Doctor performing the research is actually doing 2 experiments involving TMS and ASDs.
The First experiment is performing TMS to stimulate the motor cortex of ASDs, and measuring the muscle activity the hands that twitch, to see if there was a different activity compared to NTs. First experiment is meant to measure Cortical Function in ASD people, especially Mirror Neurons.
Second experiment, which I intend to take part in in the near future, involves the actual TMS intending to treat ASD and improve social function with NTs.
I took part in the First experiment so far.
The guy connected electrodes to my left hand. He placed little positioning stickers on my head, and tried to locate my motor cortex, specifically the area that would cause my fingers to twitch when stimulated.
He had a butterfly coil which was a conductive piece of metal that rapidly changed magnetic field. He shot pulses on my head in single and double pulses. Every pulse produced a clicking sound. He started with a low voltage, like 50 micro V, but eventually increased it to 1000 micro V.
I could feel taps on my head right after the click, and my fingers twitched every time he shot the pulses. It was a very strange yet amusing feeling, not moving my fingers on my own, but they automatically moved when I got pulsated.
I later watched videos of people doing things with their hands while he continued to pulsate me.
That's pretty much it. I will write the details in my blog in the future. (listed in my signature)
24 Jun 2010, 12:46 pm
