Question: what is the most interesting thing you have done with your job?

Jen Todd Jones answered on 14 Mar 2013:

I think the most interesting thing I’ve done is use a TMS or Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcranial_magnetic_stimulation).

When we try to understand which parts of the brain do what we examine people with brain damage to a particular area and then work out what function they’ve lost, for example, damaging a thin strip at the left side of your head about half way back will mean the right side of your body is paralysed (I know that sounds strange, the opposite side, but the brain is a funny thing!). However, someone with brain damage has probably damaged a lot more of their brain than just that tiny strip, so it can be confusing to understand which part of the brain does exactly what.

TMS can be used to send a tiny magnetic pulse into the brain to stop the brain working so well in a very specific area for a short space of time – it doesn’t damage or kill the brain cells in any way, it just temporarily confuses them. This way we can produce brain damage that doesn’t last, and better understand where stuff happens in the brain.

I think this is totally cool, to be able to have brain damage and have it go away! Having said this, having brain damage itself is really not cool and while I mentioned damaging a bit of your brain above it’s really very difficult to get brain damage easily since our skulls are so thick so don’t be alarmed about banging your head lightly!