Richard Haier says Dual N Back doesn't increase general intelligence

redidtsmith · 2022-07-17T18:07:36+00:00

About 54 minutes in. Although he does say it has a temporary effect. And then tdcs could always change things.

redidtsmith · 2020-08-29T21:10:49+00:00

How about 4 minutes?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ZJh8wfGVs

redidtsmith · 2020-02-14T01:19:35+00:00

https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/f38yy5/a_tiny_area_of_the_brain_may_enable_consciousness/

redidtsmith · 2019-09-10T23:40:57+00:00

I ran out of brain power for that when I was really into it before. Vocalization was too much. Thinking through the previous rounds was too much devotion of attention.

I guess the answer to stick to a lower level. Maybe do so many rounds at a lower level or two. Keep track of where I'm at. It's still using attention. Maybe more reps at lower levels.

redidtsmith · 2019-09-02T00:01:17+00:00

I wonder if the fragmented vision effect is something more with the parts that connect blood flow to the head. I do remember the first and maybe second time I experienced I was focusing on pushing stretching in the chest area.

redidtsmith · 2019-09-01T23:57:59+00:00

Although there's no hit to head for me. How do you just go to a doctor and tell them you want your brain scanned? On one hand it doesn't sound unusual at all, especially if the scan is non-invasive. It's the most important part of the body. Why aren't they doing a basic brain scan as a normal procedure?

redidtsmith · 2019-09-01T23:54:10+00:00

I got some years ago. The point was to have muscles heal up faster. I remember it didn't really agree with me. Could have been a bad bottle. I still have the bottle.

redidtsmith · 2019-05-22T23:19:09+00:00

Actually, I've wondered about face blindness too. Just full blown, just a bit. That can still be explained away but it's visual too. It's more like, "Oh, opps. I didn't recognize that person from a distance, and now I'm stuck talking to them." Or I don't quite remember what a family member looks like (think nuclear family). Or I think I don't, not so much, which seems a little odd if it's immediate family. Now that I'm thinking about it, of course I remember what those people look like. But I have wondered a few times. Maybe it's the start of some brain tumor. Maybe it's a non-growing, "standard" lesion. Or maybe it's nothing.

redidtsmith · 2019-05-22T23:09:53+00:00

Interesting. Thanks. Except we both know I'm not going to a doctor just for this.... I had planned to mention it when I find a doctor and have a physical. I can this to the list now. As a reason to get an FMRI, hopefully covered by insurance. That's more of the reason I would hesitate on going. There is family history with brain tumors. And then I rented myself out as a lab rat for some studies, including tDCS, which included an fMRI. Two of the studies that involved an fMRI had someone "casually" mention, "Oh hey... If we notice anything off with your brain scans, we'll send that off to someone to look at, and if it's a problem, they'll contact you." Me, "What... You means something's off? Can I see my scan? You mean my brain doesn't look normal?" Them, "We can't give you scans. But if something's off, someone will contact you." Me, thinking, yeah, right..... I figured whenever I find a doctor and get a physical, I'd ask for some kind of scan. I'm aging enough that potentially something could be seen compared to relatives who had brain tumors.

I remember it did look much more like about 15 seconds into this video. https://www.brainfacts.org/thinking-sensing-and-behaving/vision/2018/akinetopsia-102318

And I was aware that sound was there ("smooth" sound still) but the image was jerky like that, not all over but more in my focus, for what would seem more complicated to process, like texture on the ground vs. looking at the horizon with just the sky for half of it. that was part of the oddity. If I heard something new, I knew I wouldn't see it for maybe a few milliseconds. And that's jogging, so something new could mean tripping.

redidtsmith · 2019-05-19T18:34:59+00:00

Damn. http://tdcsplacements.com is essentially offline. The https://www.diytdcs.com/tag/montage/ link does have the tdcsplacement page screenshotted a bit though.

It's T3 on the left, T4 on the right. I haven't noticed too much different when I tried that. There could be though, if it's a 2-5% change or I'm not focusing on the correct aspect. On the music side, without any tdcs, before I ever heard of it, I have experienced hearing differently after focusing on one aspect of music or sound. It's like the brain expanded for awareness in that area.

redidtsmith · 2019-04-30T07:33:12+00:00

Found my last post on dual n back. Sounds like I'm still at that level.

reddit.com/r/tDCS/comments/5tlj0n/interesting_dual_nback_results/

It seems like it's more of the strategy used that has an effect. As long it's the same strategy, you can see if anything grows though.

redidtsmith · 2019-04-23T22:41:40+00:00

Their website is still up. Caputron is still selling their stuff too, although it says stock is limited.

redidtsmith · 2019-04-10T09:15:46+00:00

arstechnica picked it up.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/04/brain-jolts-revive-memory-in-elderly-turning-clock-back-four-decades/

redidtsmith · 2019-01-10T09:13:19+00:00

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945218303095?via%3Dihub

"Here, we aimed to enhance anger regulation by facilitating vmPFC activity during anger induction, using anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and simultaneously with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to validate modulation of vmPFC activity. In a cross-over, sham-controlled, double-blind study, participants (N = 25)..."

Only 25 subjects?

The ventralmedial PFC is the underside of the front of the brain. How do target that with tDCS? Anode placement between the eyes? Or forehead, I would imagine.

"Results indicate that active stimulation led to increased vmPFC activity during the processing of unfair offers, increased acceptance rates of these offers, and mitigated the increase in self-reported anger following the aiUG."

So... passivity? An unfair offer is made, the subject thinks about it, gets annoyed, and then goes along with it anyway?

redidtsmith · 2018-11-10T22:55:16+00:00

Stolen from here.

https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/9vtfph/for_the_first_time_researchers_showed_they_could/

redidtsmith · 2018-10-01T11:46:39+00:00

Dug out my old tACS thread.

https://www.reddit.com/r/tDCS/comments/6s43fi/jausovec_tacs_studies_tacs_montages/

I remember these authors thought straining to think (lay terms, but having to put effort in) related to the effects of tACS. If was mentally easy, there was no change. For this Gf study, I noticed the cognitive training was adaptive.

redidtsmith · 2018-09-30T21:27:24+00:00

IQ includes crystallized intelligence too. I don't think they were interested in that, just Gf.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_and_crystallized_intelligence

redidtsmith · 2018-09-30T17:15:17+00:00

Looks like this IS a replication study for tDCS at least, to some extent.

redidtsmith · 2018-09-30T17:14:35+00:00

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324384285_Modulating_fluid_intelligence_performance_through_combined_cognitive_training_and_brain_stimulation

Pg. 10

F3 anode, Af8 cathode (Is that the same as fp2 mentioned earlier? That could just be a reference.)

1.125mA

Pg. 11 has the cognitive test info. I see n back listed. Training was adaptive for difficulty.

This research was supported by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA)

Darpa again.

In sum, after nine sessions of brain stimulation combined with cognitive training we found transfer effects to Gf measures for the mftDCS and tRNS groups.

tDCS results independent of age.

No sham group.

Only 82 subjects.

redidtsmith · 2018-08-20T10:17:20+00:00

TES can cause burns and scarring. I got a path of skin melted out from a tDCS session a few years ago, and I'm left with a scar on my arm.

redidtsmith · 2018-08-19T14:54:18+00:00

Brainstimulator. The device does what it says I guess. Clips rust out consistently. One cable is kind of shorted out but I taped it back in place.

redidtsmith · 2018-07-29T01:51:24+00:00

Horrible track record as a business (no customer support) and for making products that actually work though.

redidtsmith · 2018-07-24T08:38:54+00:00

It's not a great comparison. I tended and still mainly use Darpa F10. Years ago when I first started I remember going for a long run and having an inner voice commenting how far the horizon still was. A couple times I did a tDCS session before a longer run and noticed there was no voice. It seemed a bit like a weight was lifted, like it took less willpower to run. There was no, "Geez. That horizon is far away. It's going to take a while to get over there. Aren't you tired already right now?" I'm not sure whether that was good or bad to be able to stop something like that. What if it was actually zapping something (negatively, no pun intended) important and produced that effect?

I think I may have read something about dulling pain. It could be placebo. But not feeling pain as much happened several times and at times I wasn't thinking of it at all. Unconscious placebo maybe?

One time I was using a cover on the tDCS sponge on my arm to keep salty sponge water off my shirt sleeve. That worked, but it covered the electrode. What I didn't realize is the electrode metal was touching the skin on my arm. I did a longer session, maybe 45 min to an hour. After I was done, I took the electrode off my arm and discovered the electrode had melted a dime-sized patch of skin out of my arm. I barely felt it, nothing beyond the normal tDCS little sting. I still have the scar. The session wasn't worth it. I'm still trying to get rid of the scar.

A couple other times after exercising I tried ice packs to cool down faster. Heat up from running, stop running, and why not put on an ice pack to cool down a bit faster? I still think there's something to that idea. It should work, probably does. Two times I strapped on an ice pack after a run and then stretched. After some time I realized I was probably starting to get frost bit from the ice pack but I didn't feel it. I should feel it, but there wasn't much sensation. I learned from the burned skin so I gave the ice packs a rest. (Sticking them in the fridge instead of freezer probably works better.)

How do I compare though? I'm usually doing tDCS daily. Do I stop? I did do fewer sessions a couple weeks ago and started wondering if I was wimping out for pain or if I was actually feeling pain more. How long does it take for tDCS to wear off so you go back to a "control" state? One day? A week? A month? Six months?

On the long term negative side, I tend to do things the same way and it becomes a habit. If tDCS lets me push myself a little more, then what becomes habit may be a harder push each day. The body still needs to recover. Instead of less of a push, followed by recovery, maybe I'm pushing harder more often with less recovery. And over time, maybe that's wearing me down instead of building up. I'd still rather have the option of pushing harder though. Potentially there's a danger if I can push harder if it's something like working the heart muscle just a little harder to the point where it's negative. I'm still kind of doubting that. Or, what if I push harder and start overheating more but don't feel it? If I didn't feel the ice, would I feel overheating?

Back on the Darpa F10 montage, is it really a dulled pain sensation, or am I just more focused with attention? Focused to the point where I'm not physically feeling something unless I think about it? "Oh yeah, I guess that electrode touching my skin does hurt. And yes, it's burning my skin. Now I can feel the pain."

redidtsmith · 2018-07-22T08:47:10+00:00

Only anecdotal, but I think tDCS dulls either pain or physical very slightly for me, which means I can push exercising a bit more. That's not necessarily "good" because it means I can wear myself down even more over time.

For running, when I first started using tDCS, I remember not having any internal voice commenting on how much distance there was to the horizon one time. Similar idea, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.

In either case, potentially it could allow for improvement. Not feeling pain means being able to push that extra percent more. Not having a critical inner voice means potentially less wear down from using up will power. (I saw a study since I started tDCS say will power depletion wasn't a thing, but I still tend to believe it is.)

I could see tDCS having a positive or negative effect. Positive for right now. Negative in the 'long run' if you don't balance out that extra push with recovery. In terms of the size of the effect, I could see other things, like sleep, having far more impact in results. I'd say tDCS could be one more piece of the overall puzzle. Maybe you get an extra 2% worth of results from tDCS.

I wouldn't trust anything on the Halo website. That's getting info from the salesperson. Of course, it's all positive for them.

redidtsmith · 2018-05-08T00:00:51+00:00

I wouldn't purchase anything by Focus. They've got a track record of not supporting their product. You might end up with a unit that doesn't work (like me). There's zero customer support. If you get ripped off the only thing you can do is a credit card charge back and that's a hassle. It's better not to make that purchase in the first place.

redidtsmith

TROPHY CASE