Study Could Facilitate Learning

Should a study underway by the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency (DARPA) bear fruit, the body’s peripheral nerves – which connect motor and sensory nerves to each other and the brain – could be used to make the learning process easier. The program, called Targeted Neuroplasticity Training, involves very specific stimulation of peripheral nerves. The process could be used to accelerate foreign language learning, restore lost cognitive function, or a host of other activities. The nerve stimulation occurs through the skin, minimizing invasiveness. DARPA will consider input from potential contributors to the study when it hosts a Proposers Day April 8 near its Arlington, Va., headquarters.