The Official September 2014 Study Group Forum

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[Toby Ziegler]

[youtube]_imTuSYOJ2A[/youtube]

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[BillPackets]

Do you listen to classical music at all? Do you meditate? Eat blueberries? Take fish oil? Have a lot of sex?

thats the 1 im srs considering getting. theres a 40 dollar model but its basically just radioshack equipment. this one is pretty cool has the knob to control the flow and says "brain stimulator" which is also pretty cool.

as for the Qs from sfogs no i basically listen to rap and EDM i have tried the classical music thing in the past to no avail no i dont meditate cuz idk i just dont i like thinking about things and i have to train my mind to not think and i would prefer to space out and watch tv than sit there n do literally nothing blueberries/fish oil i mean no i eat blueberries occassionally used to take fish oil but imho most supps are unnecessary ive done alot with supps in the past sex yes got it going

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[sfoglia]

Do you listen to classical music at all? Do you meditate? Eat blueberries? Take fish oil? Have a lot of sex?

thats the 1 im srs considering getting. theres a 40 dollar model but its basically just radioshack equipment. this one is pretty cool has the knob to control the flow and says "brain stimulator" which is also pretty cool.

as for the Qs from sfogs no i basically listen to rap and EDM i have tried the classical music thing in the past to no avail no i dont meditate cuz idk i just dont i like thinking about things and i have to train my mind to not think and i would prefer to space out and watch tv than sit there n do literally nothing blueberries/fish oil i mean no i eat blueberries occassionally used to take fish oil but imho most supps are unnecessary ive done alot with supps in the past sex yes got it going

They have all been proven to enhance cognitive performance. Maybe you could try listening to classical music while eating a fistful of blueberries and fish oil vitamins while shocking your brain while having sex?

[BillPackets]

They have all been proven to enhance cognitive performance. Maybe you could try listening to classical music while eating a fistful of blueberries and fish oil vitamins while shocking your brain while having sex?

idk i mean im pretty healthy exercise 5-7x/week pretty much have my entire life ive literally never noticed a meaningful difference when im eating a certain diet and my cognitive performance and when im eating a different diet and my cognitive performance with that diet

i mean srs guys tDCS is the next big thing idw any1 ITT to miss the boat on this thing its also thus far been proven to help with depression/anxiety so idk i mean if u have test day anxiety (read: if u r any1 taking the test) then maybe this thing could w too

[BillPackets]

sex yes got it going

idk wut the etiquette is for quoting your own quote from someone else in this kind of fashion but this really made me lol wuz just trying to mention that without drawing attention to it

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[boris09]

I have a question for you guys. Do you think you would have been able to be scoring at your current level if you hadn't thoroughly reviewed your PT's (with blind review or any other method you use), and instead just continued drilling the question types you noticed you were getting Wrong on the tests?

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[Gray]

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[sfoglia]

They have all been proven to enhance cognitive performance. Maybe you could try listening to classical music while eating a fistful of blueberries and fish oil vitamins while shocking your brain while having sex?

idk i mean im pretty healthy exercise 5-7x/week pretty much have my entire life ive literally never noticed a meaningful difference when im eating a certain diet and my cognitive performance and when im eating a different diet and my cognitive performance with that diet

i mean srs guys tDCS is the next big thing idw any1 ITT to miss the boat on this thing its also thus far been proven to help with depression/anxiety so idk i mean if u have test day anxiety (read: if u r any1 taking the test) then maybe this thing could w too

Of course it has. It's like diet electroshock therapy.

In all seriousness, you should totally get it and let us know if it works to improve your LSAT score.

Do it for the science.

[BillPackets]

I have a question for you guys. Do you think you would have been able to be scoring at your current level if you hadn't thoroughly reviewed your PT's (with blind review or any other method you use), and instead just continued drilling the question types you noticed you were getting Wrong on the tests?

imho reviewing is important but like half the Qs i miss it just me being dumb/misreading sumthing so i read it n its like oh ok im just dumb the only real review you can get from that is like hey self could u not b so dumb but maybe like a quarter of the questions i review are helpful bc i do notice a pattern w something im missing or something along those lines so idk man u should probably review

[Toby Ziegler]

also, no one won my youtube embed challenge. Toby posted an unrelated video.

But an awesome unrelated video.

[BillPackets]

Of course it has. It's like diet electroshock therapy.

In all seriousness, you should totally get it and let us know if it works to improve your LSAT score.

Do it for the science.

i mean i do really want 2 maybe i will finally order it today ive kinda been obsessed w this ever since i heard the radiolab story this summer and if i wasnt studying for sumthin i would basically have no use for it other than to experience it but this thing could maybe really help

[BillPackets]

What is tDCS?
Transcranial direct current stimulation (abbreviated to tDCS) is a form of neurostimulation which uses constant, low current delivered directly to the brain area of interest via small electrodes. It was originally developed to help patients with brain injuries such as strokes, however tests on healthy adults demonstrated that tDCS can increase cognitive performance on a variety of tasks, depending on the area of the brain being stimulated. It has been utilized to enhance language and mathematical ability, attention span, problem solving, memory, and coordination. In addition, tDCS has been used to successfully treat depression, as well as chronic pain.

In other words: tDCS allows you to unlock your brain!



How long do effects from tDCS last?
The immediate effects, where changes in cortical excitability are directly measurable, usually last from the period of stimulation, plus some after effects ranging from 3 to 90 minutes after the end of treatment. However, a study researching the effects of tDCS on depression found that the beneficial effects of tDCS stimulation were apparent a month after the treatment (link).

How much power should I use?
Because this technology is fairly new, it’s always recommended to refer to scientific studies. The vast majority of studies conducted with this technology utilize current within the 0.5 – 2.0mA range. In our research, it seems that currents below 0.5mA may not produce noticeable results, while currents above 2mA haven’t been researched thoroughly enough to prove safe and efficient. Depending on the application, it is generally believed that higher current sessions produce effects that last longer after the end of stimulation (link).

How long should a session last?
The general consensus on this is 5 to 30 minutes. In clinical research, it seems that a five minute period of stimulation is the minimum requirement to produce tDCS effects that last after the session is over (link).

How do I know where to position the electrodes?
First, you need to familiarize yourself with position codes, such as the International 10-20 System (link). As you research different montages, you will refer to this chart to understand what placement the author is discussing. While it is easy to visually estimate electrode placement based on the International 10-20 System, precise positioning is always recommended. Precise positioning involves measuring distances on your head using anatomical landmarks. A good guide on this can be found here. It’s also good to familiarize yourself with the names and basic functions of the various cortexes of the brain. The more you know, the more you grow!

What are montages and protocols?
Montages are the different positions of the cathode and anode electrodes on the body. Protocol is a combination of the montage being used, the current being used, and the duration of the session. The most researched protocol is anodal (positive: red) stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F3), and cathode (negative: black) placement above the right eye brow, with 1mA current for 20min. This montage has been shown to improve many cognitive functions such as working memory, impulse control, reasoning, and learning.

What are some other popular montages and their uses?

Treating depression/mood improvement - Anode: F3 (left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), Cathode: Fp2 (just above the right eyebrow).

Memorization and learning - Anode: Fp1 (just above the left eyebrow), Cathode: Fp2 (just above the right eyebrow).

Improving dexterity/learning motor skills - Anode: either C3 or C4 (primary motor cortex), Cathode: just above the eyebrow on the opposite side of the head from the anode.

Chronic Pain - Anode: C4 (above the right ear, halfway to the top of the head), Cathode: Fp1 (just above the left eyebrow). Another interesting montage involves placing the Anode at either C3 or C4 and the corresponding Cathode at Fp1 or Fp2 on the same side of the head (left or right) for treating pain on the opposite side of the body from where the electrodes are placed.

TL;DR: tDCS will make you smarter than u knew possible

[flash21]

God, working on your weaknesses is so frustrating sometimes. I've honestly just been doing games I botched before all day and some LR questions that I thought were really hard and reviewing over them, they are still fuckin hard. Spending all day getting your ass whooped sucks.

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[schmelling]

Post removed.

[ErgoSum]

God, working on your weaknesses is so frustrating sometimes. I've honestly just been doing games I botched before all day and some LR questions that I thought were really hard and reviewing over them, they are still fuckin hard. Spending all day getting your ass whooped sucks.

I feel you on this ;'[
This is what I've been doing for the last 5 hours

[sfoglia]

I have a question for you guys. Do you think you would have been able to be scoring at your current level if you hadn't thoroughly reviewed your PT's (with blind review or any other method you use), and instead just continued drilling the question types you noticed you were getting Wrong on the tests?

No. Definitely not. You can't learn from your mistakes until you've identified them.

[sfoglia]

What is tDCS?
Transcranial direct current stimulation (abbreviated to tDCS) is a form of neurostimulation which uses constant, low current delivered directly to the brain area of interest via small electrodes. It was originally developed to help patients with brain injuries such as strokes, however tests on healthy adults demonstrated that tDCS can increase cognitive performance on a variety of tasks, depending on the area of the brain being stimulated. It has been utilized to enhance language and mathematical ability, attention span, problem solving, memory, and coordination. In addition, tDCS has been used to successfully treat depression, as well as chronic pain.

In other words: tDCS allows you to unlock your brain!



How long do effects from tDCS last?
The immediate effects, where changes in cortical excitability are directly measurable, usually last from the period of stimulation, plus some after effects ranging from 3 to 90 minutes after the end of treatment. However, a study researching the effects of tDCS on depression found that the beneficial effects of tDCS stimulation were apparent a month after the treatment (link).

How much power should I use?
Because this technology is fairly new, it’s always recommended to refer to scientific studies. The vast majority of studies conducted with this technology utilize current within the 0.5 – 2.0mA range. In our research, it seems that currents below 0.5mA may not produce noticeable results, while currents above 2mA haven’t been researched thoroughly enough to prove safe and efficient. Depending on the application, it is generally believed that higher current sessions produce effects that last longer after the end of stimulation (link).

How long should a session last?
The general consensus on this is 5 to 30 minutes. In clinical research, it seems that a five minute period of stimulation is the minimum requirement to produce tDCS effects that last after the session is over (link).

How do I know where to position the electrodes?
First, you need to familiarize yourself with position codes, such as the International 10-20 System (link). As you research different montages, you will refer to this chart to understand what placement the author is discussing. While it is easy to visually estimate electrode placement based on the International 10-20 System, precise positioning is always recommended. Precise positioning involves measuring distances on your head using anatomical landmarks. A good guide on this can be found here. It’s also good to familiarize yourself with the names and basic functions of the various cortexes of the brain. The more you know, the more you grow!

What are montages and protocols?
Montages are the different positions of the cathode and anode electrodes on the body. Protocol is a combination of the montage being used, the current being used, and the duration of the session. The most researched protocol is anodal (positive: red) stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F3), and cathode (negative: black) placement above the right eye brow, with 1mA current for 20min. This montage has been shown to improve many cognitive functions such as working memory, impulse control, reasoning, and learning.

What are some other popular montages and their uses?

Treating depression/mood improvement - Anode: F3 (left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), Cathode: Fp2 (just above the right eyebrow).

Memorization and learning - Anode: Fp1 (just above the left eyebrow), Cathode: Fp2 (just above the right eyebrow).

Improving dexterity/learning motor skills - Anode: either C3 or C4 (primary motor cortex), Cathode: just above the eyebrow on the opposite side of the head from the anode.

Chronic Pain - Anode: C4 (above the right ear, halfway to the top of the head), Cathode: Fp1 (just above the left eyebrow). Another interesting montage involves placing the Anode at either C3 or C4 and the corresponding Cathode at Fp1 or Fp2 on the same side of the head (left or right) for treating pain on the opposite side of the body from where the electrodes are placed.

TL;DR: tDCS will make you smarter than u knew possible

This, though. After-effects from 4 to 90 minutes? That is a very wide range, there, and not long enough to keep through the entire LSAT. And I'm guessing you cannot wear this thing while you take the actual test.

[flash21]

God, working on your weaknesses is so frustrating sometimes. I've honestly just been doing games I botched before all day and some LR questions that I thought were really hard and reviewing over them, they are still fuckin hard. Spending all day getting your ass whooped sucks.

I feel you on this ;'[
This is what I've been doing for the last 5 hours

I KNOW. and I am sitting here raging over a SA question that I've been trying to figure out for like 20 minutes because my brain literally cannot comprehend the 5 different explanations I've looked at, and apparently this is level 2 SA question. ARGHGHGHGH

[boris09]

Thanks for your opinions guys! I've noticed a similar pattern where i notice i've misread or something. I think the 'hey self cud u not b dumb' ideology definitely applies to me. Nevertheless, i do review my tests, i just got a little worried that i hadn't reviewed thoroughly the past two tests i took, and have spent time drilling questions instead. Anyways, i hope to get two tests done today! Hopefully this post, and those who remember it, will serve as guilt if i don't finish

Side note: this electric stimulation sounds intriguing. Freaky, yet intriguing...