Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have demonstrated that the brain’s ability to learn certain skills can be significantly enhanced if both the brain and nervous system are primed by carefully-calibrated, precisely-timed electrical and magnetic stimulations. This new research has the potential to open entirely new perspectives in rehabilitation and possibly elite sports.
Scientists meticulously calculate the process. First, electricity is delivered to a nerve in the forearm of a test subject. Milliseconds later, magnetic stimulation is applied to the motor area of their brain using a coil placed on their head. The immediate effect is visible as small, involuntary twitches in the subject’s hand. Ten seconds later, the process is repeated.
While this may evoke images of Dr. Frankenstein at work, the reality is that of pioneering research into the brain’s capacity to learn that could unlock new understandings of brain function and provide new avenues for motor training and rehabilitation. The young, healthy test subjects reportedly felt almost nothing during the process, but displayed enhanced benefits from their motor training session thereafter.
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