Enhancing statistical calculation with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the left intra-parietal sulcus (IPS)

In this study we administered the low current brain stimulation followed by instruction.Thirty-two participants completed the study, the participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: control, 1mA, or 2mA. The experimental group participants received low current brain stimulation, tDCS for 20 minutes. After administration of the tDCS each group viewed an instructional video showing calculations for a non-parametric statistics, Kruskal-Wallis. Upon completion of viewing the video participants completed calculation of a problem requiring using a Kruskal-Wallis. We found that both experimental groups performed significantly better than the control group on calculating the statistic, Kruskal-Wallis. We used time spent completing the calculation as a covariate. The use of low current brain stimulation combined with instruction show promise in enhancing math/statistics performance.
Source: Trends in Neuroscience and Education - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research