Learn without realizing it

A method that enables targeted training of brain mechanisms even without the trainee's conscious participation was recently demonstrated in a study carried out by Weizmann Institute of Science scientists. The study was recently published in the scientific journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America" ​​(PNAS).

A method that enables focused training of brain mechanisms even without the trainee's conscious participation was recently demonstrated in a study carried out by Weizmann Institute of Science scientists. the study Recently published In the scientific journal "Records of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA" (PNAS).

In this study, which was led by postdoctoral researcher Dr. Michal Ramot, from the group of Prof. Raphael Malach From the Department of Neurobiology, in collaboration with research student Shani Grossman from the Institute and Dr. Doron Friedman from the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center, 16 subjects were exposed to positive or negative stimuli while monitoring their brain activity Using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) system, subjects were told that the study was designed to investigate reward mechanisms, and that when they received a positive stimulus, in this case - a pleasant sound, they would receive a monetary reward However, they were told that a negative stimulus - an unpleasant noise - would be accompanied by a financial fine.

In order to specifically train pre-selected brain mechanisms, but without the knowledge of the subjects, the scientists played the subjects the pleasant sounds when they detected, using the fMRI system, that activity in a certain area spontaneously stood out in the subjects' brains. The noise was heard by the scientists when the activity reversed, and a nearby area stood out in its activity. After five days, the scientists found that the first area strengthened significantly in most subjects; Meaning, the neural connections of this brain area, with other areas of the brain, have strengthened, which expresses focused learning.

Many other scientists have previously used this method, called "neurofeedback", to change the networks of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex. But in those studies, the subjects knew that a kind of learning was taking place in their minds, and sometimes they even actively participated in this process. On the other hand, as mentioned, in the current study, the targeted changes in the nerve cell networks in the brain - that is, the learning processes - took place in the brains of subjects who were not at all aware of the learning itself. When asked about this after the study, the subjects did not know at all that an attempt was made to train a target area in their brain. When the scientists asked the subjects to guess the causes of the positive and negative reward, they did not recognize any aspect of the process. The research strengthens the feasibility of activating learning processes in a directed and focused way even without the conscious participation of the learners.

"We have shown how it is possible to train brain mechanisms successfully and in a targeted manner, even if we are not aware that the learning is taking place," says Prof. Malach. "In the future, it may be possible to use this method for brain and cognitive improvement even in populations that wish to study, but suffer from difficulties in concentration, such as in cases of severe depression or attention disorders." The method is still far from implementation. The changes in the nerve cell networks were small and temporary. But in principle, targeted practice of brain mechanisms is possible even without awareness, and it is possible to harness the spontaneous fluctuations in brain activity, which are still a mystery, to drive such unconscious learning processes. Further research is needed to examine the degree of generality of the method and the scope of its possible uses.