The brain is one of the most complex compositions of matter in the universe with an almost infinite amount of possible connections. Many people agree with this statement, and yet for a long time people thought that once you reached a certain point in your life, that was it. The brain could change a little, but not much. Over the years, a movement that has been gaining traction is neuroplasticity—the ability for the brain to reorganize itself. One of the most promising pieces of technology that utilizes this is the PoNS (Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator) developed in large part by Helius Medical Technologies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6RpOeDAomU
All you have to do is place the device on your tongue while specific electronic impulses are generated by it. In Norman Doidge’s book, The Brain’s Way of Healing, he devotes an entire chapter to the PoNS. He begins with Broadway singer Ron Husmann who developed Multiple Sclerosis.
This disease causes the body to attack its own nervous system. It focuses on the fatty sheath coating the ends of nerves, called myelin, which accelerate the conduction of impulses. It can attack anywhere in the brain or spinal cord, so people often experience MS uniquely. In Husmann’s case, it degraded his nervous system to the point where he could no longer stand. He also lost control of his bladder, had numbness in his arms and legs, and, most importantly for him, lost the ability to sing; he could only whisper. His symptoms got worse where he began having difficulty swallowing food. The brain stem, which regulates vital functions of our body, was being attacked. After trying four 20-minute sessions with PoNS, Ron was able to sing! Not only that; his other symptoms were improving as well.
So how and why does PoNS work? The tongue is key to this technology. Since it has some of the densest and highest number of nerve endings in the body, stimulating the tongue also stimulates extremely important nerves. There are 12 cranial nerves (commonly represented by Roman numerals) that relay information from the brain to the rest of your body. Your tongue is innervated by cranial nerve V, otherwise known as the trigeminal nerve. It gives sensation to the skin on your face and controls the muscles used for chewing. It’s also innervated by cranial nerve VII which is what allows us to make most of our facial expression.
Stimulating the tongue starts to stimulate your brain stem and then the entire brain, allowing brain waves to stabilize. Some parts of the brain overfire or underfire with injury or illness, but the PoNS creates cohesion syncing them up. After only half a dozen sessions people are able to use it less and less. Based on the patient’s deficits, physical, occupational, relation, and cognitive exercises are used in conjunction to create these life-altering changes. In cases involving Parkinson’s, stroke, and even traumatic brain injuries certain patients have shown exemplary results. Currently, labs around the world are testing the PoNS’s merits with a whole range of disorders from cerebral palsy to autism and Alzheimer’s, among many others.
What’s the catch then? There has to be one. It all sounds too good to be true. It is non-invasive which means you don’t need brain surgery to utilize it. You don’t need surgery of any kind. There are no reported side effects with one of the creators using it every day to see if there are any. Is this the solution we’ve been looking for?
Maybe.
The problem is perhaps it might not work for you. Perhaps they have to fine tune the firing frequency. Some doubt its efficacy because it seems so general working on multiple parts of the brain simultaneously.
Technologies like the PoNS will begin to emerge and interact with our brains in new ways, both to heal and improve it. It is up to us to embrace them. Our bodies have complicated machinery in place, but if we can jump start specific parts, it’s better than trying to replace everything from scratch. It is important to remember that these new technologies often work alongside medications, rather than replace them. Even though to some it may seem so, these are not touted as miracle cures, yet the results can be astounding!