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Electrical brain stimulation may help reduce violent crime in future – study
It could be a shocking way to treat future criminals. Scientists have found that a session of electrical brain stimulation can reduce people's intentions to commit assaults, and raise their moral awareness.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore explored the potential for brain stimulation to combat crime after noting that impairment in a part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex has been linked to violent acts.
They recruited 86 healthy adults and gave half of them 20 minutes of brain stimulation before asking the whole group to read two hypothetical scenarios, one describing a physical assault, the other a sexual assault. Immediately afterwards, the participants were asked to rate the likelihood that they might behave as the protagonist had in the stories.
For those who had their brains zapped, the expressed likelihood of carrying out the physical and sexual assaults was 47% and 70% lower respectively than those who did not have brain stimulation. In the first scenario, Chris smashes a bottle over Joe's head for chatting up his girlfriend, and in the second, a night of intimate foreplay leads to date rape.
[...] Using a procedure called transcranial direct current stimulation, or tDCS, [Prof. Olivia] Choy and her colleagues Adrian Raine and Roy Hamilton at the University of Pennsylvania, delivered a 2 milliAmp current to the prefrontal cortex of volunteers to boost the region's activity.
Stimulation of the Prefrontal Cortex Reduces Intentions to Commit Aggression: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Stratified, Parallel-Group Trial (DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3317-17.2018) (DX)
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(Score: 3, Interesting) by bitstream on Tuesday July 03 2018, @09:23PM (7 children)
If it's possible to reduce people's intentions in any way. Then the government/corporations would like to quash any rebellion the same way..
1984, one bit by bit closer into your bitstream.
But there is another help for PTSD etc. Use Beta blockers [mentalhelp.net] this way:
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Aegis on Tuesday July 03 2018, @09:51PM (3 children)
If it's possible to reduce people's intentions in any way. Then the government/corporations would like to quash any rebellion the same way..
1984, one bit by bit closer into your bitstream.
We should definitely repeal the ruling that says the government isn't allowed to force someone to undergo a medical procedure then, eh?
Republicans, ushering in 1984 since 1984!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @11:30PM (1 child)
Pretty sure our dystopian reality today was a bipartisan effort. Republicans took the lead on some aspects, Democrats on others.
The Patriot Act and DMCA shit was the real downturn for freedom in the US. Sadly the majority of people did not see a reduction in their personal daily freedoms so the outrage didn't really go anywhere.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 04 2018, @12:46AM
You mean greed and trying to remain in power are two things both sides can agree on? Imagine that.
(Score: 2) by bitstream on Wednesday July 04 2018, @12:15AM
The deeper levels of government will get their way if the science is workable.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by sjames on Wednesday July 04 2018, @12:22AM (2 children)
Since the part of the brain stimulated provides impulse control, the corporations won't want to go anywhere near it. It would render advertising less effective.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 04 2018, @01:06AM
(Score: 3, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday July 04 2018, @12:03PM
Why do you think Xanax, Wellbutrin, Prozac et. al. are so popular? Zero critical thought control of impulse spending, don't worry about later: be happy now.
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