Summary: Researchers at Arizona State University are investigating transdermal electrical neuromodulation as a noninvasive way to enhance learning, memory and cognitive performance.
Source: Arizona State University
Arizona State University researchers explore electrical brain stimulation to improve learning and performance
Researchers at Arizona State University are developing noninvasive electrical stimulation techniques intended to improve learning speed, retention and overall cognitive performance. Initially motivated by applications for military personnel operating in high-stress environments, the work could also have future implications for athletes, students and performers who want to sharpen their focus and skills.
Stephen Helms Tillery, an ASU neuroscientist and director of the Sensorimotor Research Group, received funding from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to lead a multi-institutional project under DARPA’s Targeted Neuroplasticity Training program. The award supports a multi-year effort to refine transdermal electrical neuromodulation (TEN) methods that may increase learning and recall by as much as 30 percent, according to the research proposal.
“We’re excited because we anticipate developing noninvasive methods of enhancing cognitive performance, motor performance and sensory performance that would make people a lot better at a lot of things,” Helms Tillery said. The team plans to explore how targeted stimulation can increase the brain’s receptivity to learning and improve decision-making under pressure.
Helms Tillery’s approach uses arrays of electrodes placed on the scalp to direct small electrical currents through tissue to specific neuromodulatory centers in the brain stem. The stimulation is designed to engage neuromodulators—chemicals that regulate the transmission of signals between neurons—to produce broad physiological effects such as improved arousal, attention and sensory processing.
The team will focus on stimulating pathways that influence the locus coeruleus, a brain stem nucleus that releases the neuromodulator norepinephrine. Norepinephrine plays a central role in arousal and the fight-or-flight response—sharpening alertness and preparing the brain to process threats or important events. Helms Tillery describes it as “the big fight-or-flight hormone in the brain.”
By activating cranial nerves that provide sensory input to the locus coeruleus, the researchers hope to increase neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize and strengthen neural connections—so that training and experience are encoded more effectively. The project seeks to pair carefully timed sensory stimuli (such as brief touches, sounds or visual cues) with transdermal stimulation to alter measurable electrical signatures in sensory and decision-making brain areas.
Experimental tests will examine a range of behavioral and physiological measures. Specific tasks include facial recognition, sensorimotor mapping (responding to a visual signal with a targeted action) and sensory processing tasks to see whether stimulation sharpens perception and speeds decision-making. The team will record neural activity in regions involved in vision, perception and executive function to determine whether the stimulation changes underlying physiology in ways that support improved performance.
Helms Tillery and his collaborators plan to evaluate whether stimulation enhances practical skills used by sharpshooters, drone operators and other soldiers who must rapidly process information and act under pressure. The research emphasizes safely boosting information processing speed, situational awareness and accuracy in operational scenarios while monitoring for side effects and long-term effects.
As reported by the research team, their short-term target is an approximate 15 percent performance improvement within the first three years of the project, progressing toward a 30 percent improvement in later stages. The work is part of a coordinated effort across several institutions funded under DARPA’s initiative to develop targeted neuroplasticity training techniques.
Funding: This ASU-led project received DARPA funding of up to $5.3 million over four years.
Source: John German – Arizona State University
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image used for illustrative purposes.
Original Research: Additional details about methods and results will be released as the research progresses.