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Electroceuticals

Electroceuticals are defined as an alternative medical treatment based on electrical impulses and signals. It is a new field of therapeutics that focuses on nerve stimulation to treat conditions that affect the human immune system. The human body contains billions of cells that are based on electrical principles. These electrical principles constitute the language of the body's nervous system. Organ systems and their related functions are therefore regulated and controlled through the communication between neural circuits and impulses. Because neural circuits can communicate via impulses, electroceuticals have the potential to produce cell stimulations or inhibitory effects through the use of tiny electrodes. Electroceuticals focus on the mechanisms of neurons and action potentials within neural circuits to treat specific bodily conditions such as insulin release, pain management, and appetite control.

Uses of Electroceuticals

Electrical impulses have been successful in medical devices such as a cochlear implant or defribillators. Electroceuticals have also been used to treat patients suffering from Parkinson's disease. By applying electrical impulses to the thalamus region of the brain, symptoms of Parkinson's disease and pain coinciding with the condition, were reduced. Electrical impulses have also been used to treat patients suffering from uncontrollable seizures (epilepsy) and depression. The process, termed Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), allows for communication between the body and the brain by sending an electrical impulse through the vagus nerve. Further research on the stimulation of the vagus nerve through electrical impulses could also help create treatments for patients suffering from strokes, inflammatory bowel disease, and even rheumatoid arthritis. Concluding that, deep brain stimulation applied at specific frequencies (Hz) can be used as an alternative therapeutic approach to pharmaceuticals.

Neural Circuit Mapping

As an emerging field of medicine, numerous scientific and academic groups have begun conducting research to map the neural circuits of the brain. Neural circuits function through the exact electrical impulses produced in certain cells; therefore, mapping neural circuits associated with disease is vital to the success of electroceuticals and neurostimulation. Anatomically, in order to obtain efficient therapeutic responses, nerves and brain areas related to disease must be mapped. Technology must be developed that is capable of both determining and recording how electrical impulses impact disease, as well decode the communication between neural circuits that are triggered by electroceuticals. By defining specific neural circuits, the sets of nerve fibers and excitatory patterns that are associated with specific diseases and disorders can be identified. This identification will assist the development of efficient treatment methods.