Zapping the Brain Improves Math Skills (Discovery News, by Eric Bland, 11/4/2010)
There is a name for my innate inability to perform mathematical functions: dyscalculia. And, there may even be a cure! Researchers at Oxford have found mild electric shocks can improve math skills for a whooping six months! Imagine, no errors in the checkbook for half a year!
The amount of current necessary to induce the improvement is slight. So slight that most patients claim to feel nothing at all. The electricity is aimed at the part of the brain responsible for calculating numbers, the parietal lobe.
Previously, electric shock has shown promise in treating pain and rehab after accidents. But never before has a study proven the benefits from the current can last up to six months.
The best news is patients may not have to go to a clinic to get the benefits from electric shock. The Oxford scientists have already filed for a patent on a helmet that delivers it right from the comfort of your own living room!
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