Study Explores Electrical Stimulation as an Aid to Memory

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"Study Explores Electrical Stimulation as an Aid to Memory" by Benedict Carey
New York Times   Feb. 8, 2012
820 words

Dr. Itzhak Fried, Nanthia Suthana, Roy Mukamel and a number of other scientists at U.C.L.A. are attempting to improve memory in Alzheimer's and severe epilepsy patients. They are using low doses of electrical stimulation to the entorhinal cortex, sent through electrodes inserted into the brain. On February 2, the tested patience were put through a driving game that tested spacial memory, being stimulated with the low doses during three of the six trips they had to make as a taxi driver in the virtual city. Later, they were told to drive back to the three "stimulated" destinations. The study showed that improvement ranged from 40 to 90 percent better than the non-stimulated areas. The study also showed that the electrical doses improved theta waves, a global rhythm that sends neurons and aid memory.
The study is not yet conclusive, with only 6 people being tested with the new theory. If research proceeds, this may be the ultimate treatment for neurological diseases. The next step in the process is  finding the best structure of stimulation and the best way to evaluate it.