Electroshock therapy is most commonly known as a treatment used for some kinds of mental illness. But now, the United States Air Force is reportedly experimenting with using electrical currents to keep troops awake and alert while on duty, instead of caffeine.

Electroshock therapy is most commonly known as a treatment used for some kinds of mental illness.

But now, the United States Air Force, the Army and DARPA are reportedly conducting a series of experiments using electrical currents to keep troops awake and alert while on duty, instead of caffeine.

In one study several dozen volunteers have undergone noninvasive electrical brain stimulation at the Air Force Research Laboratory on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

According to the study, low levels of electricity administered through electrodes have been shown to sharpen reaction time and stimulate brain activity.

They compared the effects of caffeine and electric currents with a control group who underwent no special treatment to see how they would perform after being awake for 30 hours straight.

The subjects who were given the electric current stimulation reportedly did two times better than the control group of subjects.

Further research needs to be done to see how often electricity can safely be administered, and which areas of the brain to target, but so far there haven’t been any significant side effects other than a few cases of skin irritation from the electrodes and mild headaches.