As You Age, 'Forgetfulness' Increases... What Happens When the Brain Is Electrically Stimulated? [Reading Science]

International Journal Nature Introduces Boston University Research Team's Test Results
"Electric Stimulation on Elderly Brain for 4 Days Improves Memory for Over a Month"

Photo by Getty Images Bank

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] As people age, cognitive abilities such as memory decline. However, scientists have developed a method to overcome this decline by electrically stimulating the brain without using drugs.

According to the international journal Nature on the 22nd (local time), a research team from Boston University in the U.S. conducted an experiment on elderly individuals aged 65 and older, applying weak electrical stimulation to the brain for several days. The results showed memory improvement effects lasting for nearly a month afterward.

Scientists have long believed that long-term memory and short-term memory (working memory) are controlled by different parts of the brain. Based on this, the research team demonstrated that stimulating the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with high-frequency currents improved long-term memory ability. Additionally, stimulating the posterior part of the brain, the inferior parietal lobule, with low-frequency currents enhanced working memory.

In the experiment, 150 elderly participants aged 65 to 88 were asked to read aloud a list of 20 words for 20 minutes over four days while the corresponding brain regions were electrically stimulated. As a result, participants who received high-frequency stimulation to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex showed improved ability to recall words from the beginning of the list, corresponding to long-term memory. Participants who received low-frequency stimulation to the inferior parietal lobule showed improved ability to remember the last words read, corresponding to short-term memory.

This memory enhancement effect lasted for about a month, and those who were evaluated to have the lowest general cognitive ability before the experiment showed greater memory improvement effects.

A representative of the research team stated, "We will further study whether the brain's enhanced abilities through electrical stimulation can be applied not only to memory but also to other functions, and whether these effects can persist long-term beyond one month." They added, "We hope this research will provide more information on how the human brain operates."