Mild electric shocks to the brain may protect older people from memory loss

Mild electric shocks to the brain could protect older people from memory loss.

It's not clear if the approach can help people with dementia. Robert Reinhart, an assistant professor at Boston University and a co-author of the study, said memory loss was a normal symptom of cognitive decline and that forgetfulness could affect decision-making, planning and learning.

It was found that targeting specific areas of the brain with a weak electrical current could help prevent memory decline for at least a month.

It is possible to improve short-term memory or long-term memory separately based on location and Frequency.

The study was limited to healthy people and not those with dementia, according to others.

The team was able to get 150 people to join. While electrical signals were delivered to parts of the brain involved in short term and long term memory, participants were asked to recall five lists of 20 words.

The four-day performance of the participants was tracked by the researchers. The memory enhancement in short-term memory and long-term memory were observable at the one-month time point because we watched the memory improvements accumulate over time.

The participants who were the most forgetful at the beginning of the study showed the greatest gains a month after treatment.

The older people with poor general cognitive functioning at baseline showed the largest improvements during the intervention and the one-month time point. Patients with Alzheimer's disease could be helped by electrical brain stimulation.

Prof Masud Husain from the University of Oxford, who was not involved in the study, said that the improvement in memory ability after stimulation was quite remarkable.

The director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, who was not involved in the study, said that it showed some memory benefits for older people who got a type of brain stimulation.

The research doesn't tell us anything about the potential to slow cognitive decline caused by diseases such as Alzheimer's. Changes in memory skills are not always a sign of dementia. It's a good idea for anyone with concerns about their memory to talk to their doctor.

Prof Tara Spires-Jones from the UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh was not involved in the study. The participants were given specific word-list tasks, which may not represent everyday activities.

It is possible to slow memory decline with regular exercise and learning. Keeping fit and healthy is good for your brain. Good care of your body and mind is good care of your brain.