Scientists Reverse Memory Decline Using Electrical Pulses (theguardian.com) 47
A new study has found that electrical brain stimulation can temporarily reverse a decline in memory as a result of aging. An anonymous Slashdot reader shares the findings via a report from The Guardian: The study focused on a part of cognition called working memory, the brain system that holds information for short periods while we are making decisions or performing calculations. Working memory is crucial for a wide variety of tasks, such as recognizing faces, doing arithmetic and navigating a new environment. Working memory is known to steadily decline with age, even in the absence of any form of dementia. One factor in this decline is thought to be a disconnection between two brain networks, known as the prefrontal and temporal regions. In young people, the electrical brain activity in these two regions tends to be rhythmically synchronized, which scientists think allows information to be exchanged between the two brain areas. However, in older people the activity tends to be less tightly synchronized. This may be as result of deterioration of the long-range nerve connections that link up the different parts of the brain.
In the study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, 42 people aged 20 -- 29 and 42 people aged 60 -- 76 were assessed in a working memory task. The older group were slower and less accurate on the tests. The scientists then subjected them all to 25 minutes of non-invasive brain stimulation. This aimed to synchronize the two target brain regions by passing gentle pulses of electricity through the scalp and into the brain. After the intervention, working memory in the older adults improved to match the younger group and the effect appeared to last for 50 minutes after the stimulation. Those who had scored worst to start with showed the largest improvements.
In the study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, 42 people aged 20 -- 29 and 42 people aged 60 -- 76 were assessed in a working memory task. The older group were slower and less accurate on the tests. The scientists then subjected them all to 25 minutes of non-invasive brain stimulation. This aimed to synchronize the two target brain regions by passing gentle pulses of electricity through the scalp and into the brain. After the intervention, working memory in the older adults improved to match the younger group and the effect appeared to last for 50 minutes after the stimulation. Those who had scored worst to start with showed the largest improvements.
Tip of my tongue (Score:5, Funny)
I had a really insightful comment to make about this article, but it slipped my mind. But trust me, it would have definitely been +5 Insightful. It has something to do with...nah, it's gone.
Re: (Score:2)
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Hook me up, brother.
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I had something to say but I forgot what it was
I'm sure we can find a scientist to electrocute you if you want to be able to remember.
They old people were asleep (Score:5, Funny)
Re: They old people were asleep (Score:2)
Sounds good to me (Score:3)
Turns out the Matrixies got it backwards; we are not batteries, we *need* batteries to stay human!
I've got a bag of old 9-volts in the fridge, and a feeling I may have forgot something important.
Let's go!
DRAM (Score:5, Funny)
regression to the mean (Score:2)
Definitional frame of regression to the mean.
If it had been the other way around—older adults with the best scores improved the most relative to their younger controls—then we would know for sure this was a real thing, because that result would have run entirely counter to the pear-shaped grain of mediocrity restoration.
Why? (Score:2)
Waiting for Duplicate Post (Score:5, Funny)
If ever a story deserved a duplicate post tomorrow morning, this would be the one.
It correlates with decline in eyesight ... (Score:5, Interesting)
... and I can't shake the suspicion that there is a direct link here. I'm closing in on 50 and can observe the described decline in working memory first hand. It moves back and forth between being mildly annoying/funny and flat out scary. 45+ and your cognitive ability will decline in ways you yourself will start noticing. Prepare for that.
However I also observe that my thinking and perception of my environment has changed notably simply due to the fact that my eyes have gotten worse. And to the effect that the performance of each Eye has moved apart, with one eye being notably worse than another - *that* would explain the decline in synchronicity of brain hemispheres that appears to be the the direct cause in working memory decline as the article explains.
IMHO scientist should look into this particular link.
My 2 cents.
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It's certainly true that you can stimulate the brain to perform better.
I had a procedure where i was put under with propofol and coming round was incredible. I have never felt sharper, the kind of things that you know vaguely say the name of an actor in a film instantly recalled rather than on the tip of your tongue.
Of course propofol has killed a few people and electrical simulation can be dangerous. It would be interesting to see if a safe application of this treatment will be developed.
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... and I can't shake the suspicion that there is a direct link here. I'm closing in on 50 and can observe the described decline in working memory first hand. It moves back and forth between being mildly annoying/funny and flat out scary.
What they have done is kind of like brainwaves on overdrive here. From perusing the article, I pick up on "theta".
Okay, here's a trick for you to try. Go to youtube and find theta waves. Here's one https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com] .
Note that all of the cosmic bullshit is bullshitty. But the effect isn't. The main different "brainwaves" are alpha, beta, and theta. There are other minor ones. Now wearing headphones - you have to wear headphones - you listen to the sound. A very simple one will have two
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Eh, as someone who—like many of us here—was routinely at the top of his class and then went on to pursue a "thinking" career, but who also has had natural monovision since junior high (i.e. one eye can see far better than the other, to the point that during college a new-to-me optometrist saw the difference in the prescription for my eyes and immediately asked with a great deal of concern in his voice whether I suffered migraines, vomiting, seizures, blackouts, or falls on a regular basis; I don
Electroconvulsive Therapy (Score:3)
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A 20-25 minute session is pretty standard protocol for transcranial stimulation techniques which this may be (article is behind a paywall). The effects are usually temporary but a couple studies I know of have continued the protocol over the course of time (daily treatments not a continuous session!) and shown results still lasting a year later.
For most of these the results last longer and longer. So it may well be that this preliminary result shows a temporary benefit and subsequent results will show that
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I still don't have the study but based on the supplemental they are using HD-tACS transcranial alternating current stimulation and phase locking to the regions in question with inphase bringing benefits and outphase causing detriment. Their study didn't go beyond two days from what I can see so there may well be longer lasting benefits if they continued daily treatment over time.
Here is the supplemental.
https://www.pnas.org/content/suppl/2017/10/03/1710257114.DCSupplemental/pnas.1710257114.sapp.pdf
Substantial prior art (Score:3)
No credit to the Lectroids and Dr. Emilio Lizardo?
And then ... (Score:3)
and (Score:2)
And so, all you kids studying for exams should try my new Thinking Cap (TM [1]) just to make sure you have all the bases covered. Only $29.99.
[1] I'm sure this is trademarked, but probably by someone else.
Caution: (Score:1)
What could go wrong? (Score:1)
I think I'll glue my TENS unit to my scalp tonight, and give it go. Wish me luck.