Electrically stimulating a portion of the brain that coordinates the way the mind works can enhance memory and improve learning, according to a study that may lead to a new way to treat cognitive disorders.
The research published recently in the journal Science pinpointed for the first time how various regions of the brain work with the hippocampus, where memories are formed, organized and stored, said Joel Voss, a senior author. The elaborate process can be thrown off kilter after a stroke or trauma, and may be disorganized in people with schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease. It can also degenerate with age.
The approach, called transcranial magnetic stimulation, involves sending a small amount of energy into the brain to stimulate nerve cells. To do this, an electromagnetic coil is placed against a person's head. In the study of 16 healthy volunteers, five days of stimulation for 20 minutes improved their performance on a memory test, while no benefit was seen after they got a sham stimulation.