Memory Enhancing TMS For Treatment Of Alzheimer’s And Other Brain Diseases

Northwestern University researchers have come up with an innovative way of improving memory and treating memory impairments. This new method can be helpful for the treatment of ailments such as early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, distressing brain injury, et al. The study is the first of its kind which demonstrates that stimulating a particular region in the brain can specifically change brain’s memory functions in adults. The magnetic pulses, called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), were used to deliver electric current to the superficial region of the brain, less than a centimeter away from the surface of the skull.

TMS

Hippocampus is a major component of the human brain which is involved in the memory formation process. The direct stimulation of hippocampus is not possible because it is located in the medial temporal lobe, the deep lying sensitive location in the brain. However, the researchers, with the help of MRI scans found a superficial brain region which is highly connected to the hippocampus. When this spot was stimulated using TMS, the regions involved with hippocampus became better synchronized with each other. And, this synchronization helped the participants to learn and remember the information better. The study demonstrates that the TMS can boost the memory for at least 24 hours after the stimulation. It was also found from the study that the more the improvement of synchronicity or connectivity between the regions, the better was the performance in the test.

The research was performed on 16 healthy adults aged between 21 to 40 years. The team recorded 10 minutes of brain activity along with a detailed anatomical image of the brain in order to understand each person’s brain structure. After understanding the structure of the brain, each individual was given simulations and was retested for his/her ability to remember. Although, the study was performed on test subjects with normal memories, the team wants to carry ahead their research by studying stimulation’s effect on people with early-stage memory loss.

The research titled #-Link-Snipped-# was published online in the Journal Science.


Source: #-Link-Snipped-#

Replies

You are reading an archived discussion.

Related Posts

Finally got my internet back. Missed CE. 😐 I wanted to ask if anyone has heard about The Gate Academy? As I am thinking of joining some coaching institute for...
i just want to ask that why usually 32 bit processor or 64 bit processors are commonly available.what is the reason behind it.
Dear Sir, I am from Silicon Institute of Technology. We want to start a Biomedical Research Lab. We have a budget of 2.5Lakh. I need your suggestion for the equipments...
What would most suitable tech items for enterpreneurship. What is the budget required to start a solar lantren or LED lighting buisness.
It's been ~100+ days after Narendra Modi took over the big boss's role in India. The man's been at work and hasn't taken a day off. Just wanted to know...