A new study from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) has found that a simple, non-invasive method of brain stimulation might help people make quicker decisions.
The technique, called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), sends a very weak electric current through electrodes placed on the scalp.
It’s already used in research and therapy and is known to either boost or reduce brain activity depending on how it’s applied.
The researchers focused on a part of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This area plays an important role in decision-making, planning, and juggling multiple tasks.
In the study, 40 participants wore electrodes while performing two tasks at the same time—one visual and one auditory. They had to choose which task to do first, a situation that tested their ability to make decisions under pressure.
The key part of the experiment was how the stimulation affected their decision-making. In one type of stimulation, called anodal, a positive electrode increases brain activity.
When participants received this type, they were able to decide which task to do first a little faster—about 100 milliseconds quicker.
While that might sound like a tiny difference, in psychology experiments it’s a meaningful shift. It suggests that their brains were working more flexibly, helping them adapt to the challenge more quickly.
In contrast, when a negative electrode was used (called cathodal stimulation), which reduces brain activity, participants were more likely to stick with the same order of tasks they had previously chosen. This points to a reduction in what psychologists call “cognitive flexibility”—the ability to switch thinking or behavior in response to changes.
Importantly, neither the participants nor the researchers knew which type of stimulation was being used during each test. The tests were repeated over several weeks to ensure accuracy.
Dr. Sebastian Kübler, a psychologist at MLU, explains that while the changes seen in the study were small, they are still important.
“This method is easy to use and doesn’t involve surgery or drugs, which makes it very attractive for psychological research,” he says. However, he warns against buying into the hype surrounding commercial brain-stimulating devices that claim to boost creativity or focus.
“Those kinds of promises are exaggerated,” he says. “Our study shows that tDCS can influence thinking under very specific and controlled conditions, but the effects are subtle and depend on many factors.”
So, while brain stimulation isn’t a magic fix, it may one day help us understand—and perhaps even improve—how we think and make decisions.
If you care about brain health, please read studies that eating apples and tea could keep dementia at bay, and Olive oil: a daily dose for better brain health.
For more health information, please see recent studies what you eat together may affect your dementia risk, and time-restricted eating: a simple way to fight aging and cancer.
