Non-invasive cerebellar stimulation

[3] At the same time, ecological dynamics during the mother's intentional acts provide a clue to the fetus's nervous system, linking synaptic activity with appropriate stimuli.

During pregnancy, the mother's body produces this set of physical interactions that provide natural neurostimulation to form the balanced nervous system in the child.

NICS is a neural modulation technique, showing capability to rehabilitate the brain functions of patients undergoing a plethora of neurological or psychiatric diseases.

[1] NICS targets the cerebellum, due to the high density of neurons at its superficial layer (the cerebellar cortex), the electrical properties, and network to neural circuits (involved in motor, cognitive, and emotional functions).

[11] 2) NICS can induce variations in plasticity (ability of nervous system to adapt its activity in response to stimuli), which create long-lasting effects behaviour and cognition.

[18][citation needed] tDCS involves the application of a weak direct electrical current to the scalp which flows through underlying brain tissue and modulates the activity of the neurons within the targeted region.

[9] TMS has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of major depressive disorders who do not respond to the oral medications (antidepressants).

[28] tDCS likewise have produced positive results in the treatment of disorders such as depression, anxiety, chronic pain and stroke rehabilitation.

[9] The cerebellum plays a significant role in motor coordination, balance and posture, and its dysfunction is what results in Cerebellar Ataxia.

[9] The application of NICS techniques such as TMS and tDCS enable the alleviation of symptoms through improved motor function, although further research is needed before it can be broadly utilised within clinical context.

[32] The capacity to restore functional cerebellar processing after impairments suggests NICS as a potential treatment to aid in the control of these symptoms within certain patients.

[33] The NICS technique of tDCS is commonly applied to Schizophrenia to alleviate symptoms and enhance cognitive, social, behavioural and emotional functions.

The cost of these treatments may vary in the parameters for an individual patient, although cumulatively this is still a cost-effective option if the alternative is continuous drugs or referring to surgery.

[30] Despite the limited information and research available for this topic, NICS withhold potential in the medical field to improve a variety of neuronal and psychiatric disorders.

The most common side effect reported are mild and transient which include headaches, scalp discomfort and tingling sensations.

Techniques in inducing optimal parameters such as the intensity, target region of the magnetic field and current, duration of pulses, and type of treatment are still unspecified.

Due to the limited and mixed conclusions of studies, patients and medical practitioners alike may be hesitant to use and invest in these non-invasive methods.

Figure 1: Image derived from psych scene hub displaying the general mechanism of TMS. A small coil is placed near the scalp, whereby a magnetic field is applied to induce an electrical field within the brains outer cortex. The coil is generally directed above the motor cortex (region which primarily generates neural impulses). [ 13 ]
Figure 2: Image of Dr. Oscar Morales (medical director of TMS service at McLean Hospital) displaying how the TMS coil is positioned. This equipment was directed for the treatment of OCD. [ 14 ]