Electrical Currents To the Brain Improve Memory for Older Adults, Study Finds

Pulsing electrical currents through the brain for 20 minutes can boost memory for older adults for at least a month, according to a new study. From a report: Around 8 percent of people in the US get diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or dementia as they get older -- significantly impairing their memory -- and an even larger group of older adults has some degree of age-related memory loss. This new study is only a first look at a potential solution. But easy, quick treatments like this one could become even more important as the world's population rapidly ages -- especially if future research shows that it can help with more serious cognitive conditions. The brain stimulation done in this study, published Monday in Nature Neuroscience, came from a swim cap-like device studded with electrodes positioned to deliver the electric current to specific areas of the brain. The research team was interested in two main areas: one that's linked with working memory (which holds information temporarily and overlaps with short-term memory) and another linked with long-term memory. The research team divided 60 participants between the ages of 65 and 88 into three groups: one group wore the device but didn't get any electrical stimulation; the second received stimulation in the region associated with working memory; and the third received stimulation in the area associated with long-term memory.

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