When young school students perform poorly in their classes, the usual antidote is more study, but desperate parents are instead opting for potentially dangerous DIY brain stimulation kits to motivate their child. The ABC have reported that for a few hundred dollars, you can purchase your own kit on the web, and nothing is stopping buyers from using it on their children. Online advertisements have promised immediate results, but have not made the potential dangerous side effects clear. Experts have voiced concerns over DIY brain stimulation kits for children that are being sold online . For a few hundred dollars, one can be purchased online from various sites and delivered to your door . Professor Colleen Loo from the Black Dog Institute has been researching transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for 20 years and strongly believes that the equipment poses a danger to amateurs and children. 'I certainly wouldn't recommend doing it to yourself at home,' she said. Professor Loo's colleague, Dr Donel Martin is worried by the advertisements claiming to improve attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 'There is some evidence to suggest maths ability and learning may be improved, but in order to do this we must stimulate certain parts of the brain in a certain way,' Dr Martin said. 'Devices like this where you just plonk it on your head, it's really unclear what areas of the brain are being targeted.' Websites like Brain Simulator advertise the simulators for $55 US and explain how to make your own electrode . Brain stimulation equipment still remains relatively new and experimental and Dr Martin warns parents against using it on their children . Brain stimulation equipment still remains relatively new and experimental and Dr Martin warns parents against using it on their children. 'There's been very little research conducted in using these devices on children,' he said. 'Without medical supervision there could be unwanted and unexpected side effects.' When placed on the head, the devices stimulates the brain by applying electrical currents to a small region of the scalp. It is currently being used at Oxford University to improve speaking in those who suffer from speech production problems. Websites that sell these devices sells entire kits for as little as $55 US. One site even advertises how to make your own electrodes using a household sponge. 'There's definitely a risk with people pushing the boundaries of what's shown to be safe,' Dr Martin said. 'If you push beyond those limits, we don't know what the consequences are.'
Experts have voiced concerns over DIY brain stimulation kits for children.
For a few hundred dollars, one can be purchased online from various sites.
It promises to help children with math homework and claims to help ADHD.
Professor Colleen Loo from the Black Dog Institute strongly believes that the equipment poses a danger to amateurs and children.
The equipment is currently being used to treat people with speech impediments but is still very much in trial stages.