To think I was experimented on in the 60s?

[itsnotmeitsu]

I realise this is a weird thing to suggest, and society today is very different from then, (although, 'plus les choses changent, plus elles restent les mêmes'), but this has been preying on my mind recently, due to reading an article about brain research being carried out on adults (with their consent) decades ago.

When I was very wrong - early 60s - my sister and I were taken to a Birmingham hospital a few times to have electrodes placed on our skulls, and patterns were recorded. I remember it very well, even though I was only about two, because the whole thing was strange and scary to me. Later, my mum said it was to determine whether we were identical or fraternal twins (we're fraternal), so I know her permission was involved. Now I know there wasn't the access to the science that determines this type of thing today, but in that period would they try and establish twin DNA by measuring brain patterns? I very recently talked to my sister about it and, although she remembered it, she gave a different reason for it happening.

The reason I'm putting it out there is to see if anyone has had the same experience, or knows anything about it, and, if so, what reasons were given for it? Were we experimented on, and was my mum told the truth or lied to? I can't ask my mum any more about it, as she died in 2019.

And to those getting at the OP for using the word experimented on - just stop it.

Theres a huge difference between that and gathering data for research though.

OP was it because you have a fantastic memory?

“Experimented on” is entirely different to a research study for gathering information.

Having worked in a similar field, although we do everything possible to limit the scariness of the procedure, sometimes it can’t be avoided if the procedure is a necessary one. It’s hard to tell from the information given by OP whether this is the case here.

And I’d still be interested in OP’s sister’s take on this, which a number of people have already asked about.

Must confess that my first reaction was as I have family members that were experimented on under the Nazi regime, leaving horrendous long-term health problems. But once I had a word with myself for being a bit mardy and getting stuck on semantics, I can well imagine how scary it might have felt having electrodes etc stuck on your head without some age-appropriate explanation and being reassured.

I had a colleague who did this to her twins for general research. When I asked what it was about, she said she didn't really know. 🤦🏽‍♀️

I'm guessing there was a small fee for participating?

Could you write to the place on the off chance they have more info?

I think it's more likely your mum has misremembered exactly what they were testing but that it's clearly related to you being a twin. It was more likely testing other things to see if twins had the same response to stuff.

My mum was one of the early plastic surgery patients in the 60's. It had obviously existed prior to this (WWI and WWII) but it was more a case of making something functional rather and visually appealing. She was definitely a guinea pig for cosmetic plastic surgery due to severe burns in childhood. So it does seem post-war things might've been changing in medicine.

I don’t know about your study. But when my Mum was pregnant with me (early 1970s), she agreed with the maternity unit for them to experiment on her while she was pregnant (no idea wtf she was thinking!). So they’d put her in an pressurised oxygen chamber for an hour or two so she’d take in more oxygen for me. Apparently I was tracked until I was two, by some scientist that came to the house.

She has no idea why, or what it was for - or so she says and there is nothing on my medical records. I’d love to know what the hell they were doing it for.

Agree with PP that being studied or observed is not the same thing as being "experimented on". Being studied/observed is usually completely harmless. I wouldn't suspect any sinister motives or underhanded behaviour, based on what you've written here.

I have a photo of DS (now 14) at about 6 months, with a cap on his head and electrodes coming out of it, as part of a research study into babies -trying to figure out when they realised objects were permanent, rather than not existing when they couldn't see them. It sounds similar, and totally normal.

Perhaps one of you had CD a seizure and they were testing you for epilepsy? People used to hide epilepsy particularly in girls as it was something that would make you “less marriageable”. Perhaps that’s why the “testing you to see if you’re fraternal”.

I am almost certain that if you approached the University, OP, they'd be able to find out what the study was, and reassure you.

The whole point of research studies is that their findings are kept and curated very carefully. Even now, scientists and scientific authors will want to access that data, even though it's now 60 years old.

That means that the University is likely to be able to pinpoint it by the dates of your observations.

I agree. They would surely happily shared what it was about.
However, (sorry about that again), when you approach them, don't use the "experimented on". It would sound like you are accusing them of something bad and you would probably be pretty quickly talking just to legal representatives for them.

Ask about the research in x year in hospital including twins, children and they will be able to direct you

I did this with my DC in the 2000s for some university project. They were older, and they got book tokens, and a picture of the research. I can't remember what it was about now though. But mine did enjoy it at the time, even though I seem to remember it was quite noisy.

What does your sister remember differently about it?

Sounds traumatic, but doubt you were being experimented on so much as studied. Agree that you should approach the university and connected research committees to see if they have anything, and the hospital to see where those records would be.

OP I understand what you meant by experimented on, to be fair with such little information and being so young, you are perhaps slightly justified to feel this way. Hopefully it is reassuring for you to find that these studies are more routine and nothing sinister.

Could you perhaps make some enquiries with your GP or the hospital to get more information?

I think you need to look up basic terms. From what you have said you were not involved in an experiment, you were not experimented on etc. It would have been a research project where data was collected, it is VERY different. Mail be do some scholarship around this before talking to people to try and understand the background to it or they will just think you are batty.

In short, you were involved in a twin study where data was collected in a non-invasive manner, that your parents gave permission for. Twin-studies are very common. Twin experiments are not and pretty much only occurred in Nazi camps or earlier in history when people didn’t know better and vulnerable people were rife - ditto for people with disabilities and women in general where their rights in general could be signed over by a man with ‘ownership’. What you describe could probably be unravelled quite quickly in regards to what the study was as you have the name of the institution and a time period. Just search studies that meet this criteria. Apart from this what more would you want?

or they will just think you are batty.

Well, hopefully they would understand that a non-academic member of the public was involved in a research trial and treat her with respect.

Just search studies that meet this criteria. Apart from this what more would you want?

You are extremely abrasive.

This happened to me. I'm not a twin but was in hospital for concussion. The consultant who looked after me asked my Mum if I could come in for some EEGs, I think it was for research rather than after care but I was quite young, can't really remember.

Some people are really minimising the OP's experience here. I was about 6/7 and they glued loads of wires to my head and strapped my head up. I couldn't move or swallow, I couldn't help dribbling. I remember crying. It was very uncomfortable, humiliating and distressing and seemed to go on for an hour or two each time. I went in a few times. Fuck knows why my mum allowed it when she saw the state of me. I would never let it happen to my kids.
I did ask her when I was older. She said she doesn't know why she said yes. I can only imagine in those times (80s) people just said yes and agreed to whatever some professional doctor wanted them to.
The only person I have told about this id DH and he thought I was making it up! Why would they do this to children who couldn't really consent and were clearly upset?

@itallworkedouthorribly

or they will just think you are batty.

Well, hopefully they would understand that a non-academic member of the public was involved in a research trial and treat her with respect.

Yoi don't need to be an academic to feel the difference between "experimented on" and "in a research/part of a research/subject in research" or whatever is the correct term. It does correspond with Op's feelings in the memory, but taht doesn't mean it's right. It would be a really serious accusation if taken literally

I know twins are often experimented on because they're a useful human form to gain greater scientific knowledge

A study (or a research project) is not an 'experiment'.

@Bluewavescrashing 🤣🤣

@Lolaismydog that sounds horrible. I was older when I had eeg so maybe and it was like 20 years later, but I wasn't strapped in or anything. Yours really sounds wrong

Possibly one of you was having absences and they could conduct an EEG on each to have a baseline study?
Twin studies go on all the time.
I'd be very interested to hear what your twin believes the 'experiment' was for.

My twins had those electrode things on their heads when they were about the same age for a twin study. It was done at home though.

I think you’re being a bit dramatic. It wasn’t an experiment, it was a research project.