Brain and Nerve Stimulation for Mood Enhancement

Enhancing brain activity and function is a very ancient practice which is usually accomplished by taking illegal drugs. Prescription medication is becoming more commonly used as a means of enhancing mood, and recently, it has become possible to modulate mood by applying magnetic (TMS) or electrical current to the brain (tDCS, implanted electrodes) or by training the brain to work at predetermined oscillations (neurofeedback). A summary of the available neuromodulation techniques will be presented associated with data from human subjects implanted with cortical and/or subcutaneous electrodes that demonstrate the potential for electrical neuro-enhancement.