Electric shock treatment can boost learning ability

By Admin
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (TDCS) is a process in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, otherwise known as electric...

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (TDCS) is a process in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, otherwise known as electric shock treatment or therapy.

TDCS is most often used as a treatment for patients with cognitive impairment, usually the result of a stroke or brain injury.

However, following research which was carried out at the University of Oxford, researchers and psychologists now believe that TDCS could help to improve our learning ability and concentration and problem solving functions.

To read the latest edition of Healthcare Global, click here

At a cost of £500 portable devices which administer this electric shock treatment are available to those looking to improve their academic lifestyle.

The researchers from Oxford University’s Department of Experimental Psychology found that the effects usually lasted around 12 months.

“The idea is to stimulate the brain in order to make it easier to learn new information such as maths,” said the leader of the research, Dr Roi Cohen Kadosh.

“What we find with adults is that the improvement is not only in maths but actually in language, attention and decision making – they not only become better for a short time, but for long periods.

“It is not a magic pill like you might find in Hollywood movies, it’s not going to make you Einstein in one day – you still need to work hard – but together with that it makes an enhancement to your performance.”

Although the team behind the study are confident there are no negative side effects from TDCS, it has attracted some criticism from health experts.

On area of concern is the fact that the TDCS machines are available to buy and use privately, meaning their use will not be regulated.

It is thought misuse of the electric shock therapy equipment could cause some brain damage.

Despite this, the researchers have stated in their report that TDCS should only be used to their recommended guidelines.

Writing in the journal of Current Biology, they said: “When used within suggested guidelines, the acute safety risks (of seizures, for example) seem very low.”

The Healthcare Global magazine is now available on the iPad. Click here to download it.

Share

Featured Articles

McKinsey: Women More Likely to die of Heart Attack Than Men

McKinsey Health Institute's Lucy Pérez says cardiovascular disease top killer of women yet physicians don't know their heart attack symptoms are different

Novo Nordisk Buys $1bn Cardior in CardioVascular Move

As Novo Nordisk expands into heart medicines, we profile the Danish pharma giant who in 1923 was the first to make insulin commercially available

Shoddy Chinese Syringes Sees BD Ramp-up Production

Becton Dickinson – a major supplier of syringes – said it has upped manufacturing in its US facilities after FDA warning on China-made products

AI Tool 'Picks up Early-stage Breast Cancers Doctors Missed'

Technology & AI

AstraZeneca Buys $2bn Fusion in Next-gen Cancer Drugs Move

Medical Devices & Pharma

Eli Lilly and Amazon Pharmacy Partner on Drugs Delivery

Digital Healthcare