Electric current to brain boosts memory: May help treat memory disorders from stroke, Alzheimer's,

Electric current to brain boosts memory: May help treat memory disorders from stroke, Alzheimer's, brain injury

Stimulating a particular region in the brain via non-invasive delivery of electrical current using magnetic pulses, called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, improves memory, reports a new Northwestern Medicine® study.

The discovery opens a new field of possibilities for treating memory impairments caused by conditions such as stroke, early-stage Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, cardiac arrest and the memory problems that occur in healthy aging.

"We show for the first time that you can specifically change memory functions of the brain in adults without surgery or drugs, which have not proven effective," said senior author Joel Voss, assistant professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "This noninvasive stimulation improves the ability to learn new things. It has tremendous potential for treating memory disorders."

The study will be published August 29 in Science.

The study also is the first to demonstrate that remembering events requires a collection of many brain regions to work in concert with a key memory structure called the hippocampus -- similar to a symphony orchestra. The electrical stimulation is like giving the brain regions a more talented conductor so they play in closer synchrony.

"It's like we replaced their normal conductor with Muti," Voss said, referring to Riccardo Muti, the music director of the renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra. "The brain regions played together better after the stimulation."

The approach also has potential for treating mental disorders such as schizophrenia in which these brain regions and the hippocampus are out of sync with each other, affecting memory and cognition.

TMS Boosts Memory

The Northwestern study is the first to show TMS improves memory long after treatment. In the past, TMS has been used in a limited way to temporarily change brain function to improve performance during a test, for example, making someone push a button slightly faster while the brain is being stimulated. The study shows that TMS can be used to improve memory for events at least 24 hours after the stimulation is given.

If they could make it last longer than 24hrs after the stimulation, say a month, that would be wonderful. Going in every month to get your memory to stay functional is a big advancement, imho.

It is so sad when people start to lose their memory and it's even harder when it's happening to a younger person.

I also wonder if this would help people who have to take a medication where one of the side effects messes with your short term memory like with prednisone. It's not fun when a medication that is supposed to help you, starts to mess with your memory.

a reply to: knoledgeispower
S & F
This is promising!

Nice article, as they said it will take years of research to see if it is safe/useful for people that really need it.

Still it is a great step towards the right direction imo.


Here hoping for good results to come out of that.

It's kind of ironic electro chock against depression does the exact opposite, it makes you forget.

i wonder what the difference is...

originally posted by: Mianeye
It's kind of ironic electro chock against depression does the exact opposite, it makes you forget.

i wonder what the difference is...

A different part of the brain being treated, perhaps? I'm not sure.

It's good to see advancement being made for this disease.

a reply to: Musing

It's the same treatment.

CLICK ME

The least invasive of these techniques is called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), in which electric pulses are sent by a device held to the forehead to the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain that is connected to mood.

CLICK ME 2

The first category, medical and physical risks includes adverse reaction to anesthetic agents and neuromuscular blocking agents, alterations in blood pressure, cardiovascular complications, death, dental and oral trauma, pain and discomfort, physical trauma, prolonged seizures, pulmonary complications, skin burns, and stroke. The other two main categories include cognitive and memory dysfunction, and device malfunction.

But i guess it's as you say, they aim for another region of the brain.

a reply to: Mianeye

The difference is that they can now SPIN this into a nice money making enterprise, the stigma of electro-shock now long forgotten by the masses.

'd studee sez it wil make me smartr'

a reply to: Mianeye


From what I gather, the idea is to stimulate the hippocampus, which is one of the first regions to suffer damage during Alzheimers. The hippocampus plays an important role in our short and long term memory function.

Isn't that uncomfortably similar to what "they" said about this?

ffs, 4th time I am trying to submit, but keep on getting timeout errors.

There is another technology that is called tDCS, with similar results, and achievable by the average DIY-er. On reddit there is a large thread about it, just search for tDCS.
Lots of people are using it with a varying degree of success.

I myself is using a similar system, that I designed and built myself based on my own hypothesis. It helps
me to overcome the limitions placed upon me by my brain tumor and Myasthenia Gravis.

a reply to: CovertAgenda

1) electroshock therapy is still used and with good results where applicable
2) this is not electroshock therapy

originally posted by: CovertAgenda
a reply to: Mianeye

The difference is that they can now SPIN this into a nice money making enterprise, the stigma of electro-shock now long forgotten by the masses.

'd studee sez it wil make me smartr'

No one has forgotten electro-shock.

They are targeting a different part of your brain & I'm guessing that it also does not give you a seizure (As Electro-shock does). You are getting a constant flow to the hippocampus instead of other regions of the brain.

a reply to: GetHyped

You really need to read what i said before showing off how smart you are.

1) i never said ES is/isnt used....and never made comment with regards effectiveness.
2) i never said this was ES...

a reply to: knoledgeispower

You also really need to read what i said (AS A REPLY TO MIANEYE) before showing off how smart you are.

1) 'No-one has forgotten electro-shock'.... wow you speak for all now do you.... also i said 'stigma'... now look it up and piece the sentence together.
2) You are 'guessing' now... wow how illuminating. Thanks for that. I bow to your expertise in neurological knowledge.

You stand as a shining example of your own signature quote.

originally posted by: CovertAgenda
a reply to: knoledgeispower

You also really need to read what i said (AS A REPLY TO MIANEYE) before showing off how smart you are.

1) 'No-one has forgotten electro-shock'.... wow you speak for all now do you.... also i said 'stigma'... now look it up and piece the sentence together.
2) You are 'guessing' now... wow how illuminating. Thanks for that. I bow to your expertise in neurological knowledge.

You stand as a shining example of your own signature quote.

1) You were speaking for everyone when you claimed " the stigma of electro-shock now long forgotten by the masses." So why can't I speak for everyone too?

2) Wow, aren't you quite the mature person. Not.
I chose the word "guess" because the article said nothing at all about causing seizures while the flow of electricity goes to the brain, but I didn't want to assume I was correct.

Let me guess, you know all the answer. You don't believe a single lie, you are super smart & no one can fool you *roll eyes* Your are a shining example of the immature people on ATS. Instead of remaining civil, you have to get all snarky & mean. Good job Do you feel better now that you have attempted to insult me?