Memory loss has long been known as a symptom of getting older, but we might be able to change that.
Scientists have discovered that passing a harmless electrical current through the brain for 25 minutes can help regain the loss of working memory in older people, a new study has found. While the long term success of this method has not yet been tested, the study raised "the prospect of new treatments," The Guardian reported.
The study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience on Monday, tested the "working memory," which is the neurological process that holds information for short periods of time so that we can use it for "cognitive tasks, from following a conversation to doing mental math," Stat News explained. The study tested this in younger and older participants by administering a simple memory test, which showed that younger people could accurately remember things about 90 percent of the time, while older people averaged about 80 percent. After stimulating certain areas of the brain with alternating current (AC), it was shown that the older participants could reach the level of 90 percent, even up to 50 minutes after the electric treatment.
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The study presents evidence that "negative age-related changes are not unchangeable," said Robert Reinhart, the lead author of the study and a neuroscientist at Boston University. Additional research will be performed to determine whether this study can lead to a working treatment for memory loss.
Read more about the study at Stat News.
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