When Noise Helps Learning
Though many of us may seek a quiet place in which to study, the right kind of ‘noise’ may help some people improve their learning.
Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) sees electrodes attached to the head so a weak current can pass through specific parts of the brain.
The effects of tRNS have been tested in a variety of settings and has shown potential to be useful in a number applications.
Edith Cowan University (ECU) study lead Dr Onno van der Groen said, “The effect on learning is promising: it can speed up learning and help people with neurological conditions.
“So, people with learning difficulties you can use it to enhance learning rate, for example.
“It’s also been trialled on people with visual deficits, such as after stroke and traumatic brain injury.
“When you add this type of stimulation during learning, you get better performance, faster learning and better attention afterwards as well.”
tRNS works by allowing the brain to form new connections and pathways, a process known as neuroplasticity.
“If you learn something, there has to be neuroplastic changes in your brain, which allows you to learn this information,” he said.
“And this is a tool to enhance this neuroplasticity.”
tRNS has two effects on the brain: the ‘acute’ effect, which allows a person to perform better while undergoing tRNS, and the modulating effect which saw lasting results.
“If you do 10 sessions of a visual perception task with the tRNS and then come back and do it again without it, you’ll find you perform better than the control group who hasn’t used it,” he said.
While it’s most pertinent to those with deficiencies and difficulties in learning, it also begs the question as to whether a neurotypical person can take their intelligence to new levels.
Dr van der Groen says the potential is there, but there are also signs it won’t create a ‘new level’ of intelligence.
“The question is, if you’re neurotypical, are you already performing at your peak?” he said.
“There’s a case study where they tried to enhance the mathematical skills of a super mathematician; with him, it didn’t have much of an impact on his performance, presumably because he is already a top performer in that area.
“But it could be used if you’re learning something new.”
Where it’s Headed
Though the technology is still in its infancy and people are only able to access tRNS by entering controlled trials, Dr van der Groen said its practicality and apparent safety meant there was a lot of potential for a range of applications.
“The concept is relatively simple,” he said, “It’s like a battery: the current runs from plus to minus, but it goes through your head as well.
“We’re working on a study where we send the equipment to people, and they apply everything themselves remotely.
“So in that regards, it’s quite easy to use.”
Scientists worldwide are also investigating tRNS’ effects on perception, working memory, sensory processing and other aspects of behaviour, with the technology showing promise as a treatment for a range of clinical conditions.
“We’re still trying to find out how best we can use it,” Dr van der Groen said.
‘Using noise for the better: The effects of transcranial random noise stimulation on the brain and behaviour’ by Dr Onno van der Groen and Professor Dylan Edwards was published in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.
Image by Ekaterina Bolovtsova