Electric shock to the brain can really improve memory, netizens read the online Nature sub-issue

Yi Ge is sent from

In real life, although it is unrealistic to obtain superpowers by "being struck by lightning", stimulating the human brain with an electric current much smaller than that of lightning has been proven to have a significant effect on improving memory

The latest experiments show that just 4 consecutive days of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) treatment can maintain the memory-boosting effect for at least a month

Some netizens said after reading it: I want to ask for electricity now.

At present, related papers have been published in Nature Neuroscience, a sub-journal of Nature, and the research team is from Boston University

The Magical Way to Boost Your Memory

Before understanding the experimental process, let us first understand the core technology of the experiment - transcranial alternating current stimulation

It is an emerging neuromodulation technology that applies a wave-like electrical current to specific areas of the brain through electrodes on the surface of the scalp

Electric currents entering the brain can mimic or alter brainwave activity to induce the release of various neuromediators that can modulate individual emotions and cognition, and are expected to alter the brain's neural network

The research team used this method to analyze working memory with fixed capacity and long-term memory with sustainable maintenance

Specific to the experimental method, the researchers selected 150 elderly people aged 65 to 88, randomly divided them into groups of 20, and applied 60Hz high-frequency gamma waves and 4Hz low-frequency theta waves to the human brain alternately The prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the inferior parietal cortex (IPL) are two key parts of memory in the brain

These two locations were chosen because the prefrontal cortex and inferior parietal cortex correspond to the two functional areas of long-term memory and working memory

In the first part of the experiment, all participants were asked to perform a memory task of recalling 20 words read aloud by the experimenter

For comparison, the experiment was divided into 3 groups:

In the first group of 20 people, the prefrontal cortex received 60Hz gamma waves

A second group of 20 subjects received 4 Hz theta waves to the inferior parietal lobe

A third group of 20 people received the sham treatment as a control group

The entire electrical stimulation session was performed daily for 20 minutes, and the participants were asked to recall as many words as possible immediately after the stimulation ended

The results of the experiment showed that 17 of the 20 people who received gamma waves had an improved ability to recall words; 18 of the 20 participants who received theta waves could clearly recall the last word they heard
.

It was evident that the participants experienced significant improvements in both working memory and relatively longer long-term memory
.

To further test this conclusion, the researchers flipped the brain regions stimulated by gamma and theta waves for a second experiment
.

And after that, the process of the first experiment was repeated
.

In addition, a month after the three rounds of the experiment, the participants were given another word recall test to see if the memory improvement was still ongoing
.

Combining the results of all the above experiments showed that the low-frequency theta waves improved short-term working memory within a month, while the high-frequency gamma waves improved long-term memory
.

Corresponding author of the paper, Robert MG Reinhart, said:

The results suggest that we can improve short-term or long-term memory, respectively, depending on the location and frequency of electrical stimulation
.

It also means that in the future researchers can tailor treatments to individual needs
.

The authors also point out that this research direction will hopefully be applied in the future to treat diseases such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and obsessive-compulsive disorder
.

Marom Bikson, a neuroengineer at the City College of New York, also expressed his expectations for the future direction of research:

If further research is successful, it could end up in every doctor's office.
.
.
and it could end up being something people use at home
.

research team

The authors of the paper are a research team from Boston University
.

Corresponding author Robert MG Reinhart is director of the Boston University Visual Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory and an assistant professor in the Boston University Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
.

His main research interests are the use of a variety of experimental techniques, including psychophysics, eye movements, electrophysiology, and non-invasive brain stimulation, to address important questions in mainstream cognitive psychology and neuroscience theory
.

As early as 2019, he published the paper "Working memory revived in older adults by synchronizing rhythmic brain circuits" to explore and experiment on the topic of "mild current can improve memory in the elderly"
.

For today's increasingly aging society, this research can be said to be very appropriate
.

Richard Isaacson, an American neurologist and director of the Center for Brain Health at Florida Atlantic University, said:

The research, which will affect tens of millions of people, is a promising step toward addressing cognitive aging in the brain and improving brain health
.

Reference link:
[1] #MOESM2
[2] https://medicalxpress.
com/news/2022-08-trial-brain-zaps- gave-seniors.
html
[3]https://edition.
cnn.
com/2022/08/22/health/brain-stimulation-memory-wellness/index.
html
[4] psych/profile/robert-mg-reinhart-phd/

- Finish-

"Artificial Intelligence", "Smart Car" WeChat community invites you to join!

Welcome friends who are interested in artificial intelligence and smart cars to join us, communicate and learn from AI practitioners, and do not miss the latest industry development & technological progress
.

PS.
Please be sure to note your name-company-position when adding friends~

Click here👇 to follow me, remember to mark the star~

"Share", "Like" and "Watching" in one click

See you every day at the forefront of science and technology~