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Stimulating the Brain with Electricity Helps in Improving Working Memory [VIDEO]

By Mark Miller | Update Date: Mar 16, 2017 09:44 AM EDT

Experts reveal that stimulating the brain with electricity helps in giving a performance boost and improving memory. Results of the experiments also showed that when brain regions are electrically stimulated in sync, reaction times on memory tasks improves, even on harder to perform activities.

The Medical News Today revealed that scientists have already found a new way to improve brain connectivity and function. Such breakthrough may help in boosting short-term working memory. With further experimentations, electrical stimulation of the brain is also believed to be capable of repairing brain damage in patients who experienced traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, and stroke.

Scientists for the Imperial College London in the United Kingdom conducted experiments on the effects of electrical stimulation on the brain. Poor memory is often caused by old age but is also due to the lack of stimulants that triggers the brain to function accordingly.

Through the experiment, brain activities were synchronized to observe electrical activity. An exact rhythm, achieved through electrical brain stimulation improved the brain's memory and helped it to perform elaborated tasks.

The new study also revealed that weak electrical stimulation to the brain helped in strategically coordinating different parts of the brain, improving the test subject's memory, the Daily Mail UK reported.

A noninvasive technique called TACS or transcranial alternating current stimulation was used to interfere with the natural rhythm of the brain. Alternation electrical current was applied through the skull targeting the middle frontal gyrus and the inferior parietal lobe. Participants who were involved in the experiment were asked to perform memory tasks afterward, with increasing difficulty.

Synchronizing the brain electricity showed that the brain's ability to retain information improved and made it easier for the test subjects to access small bits of information easily. Further experiments will be conducted to be able to identify is electrical brain stimulation can also aid in treating patients with traumatic brain injuries.

The brain is indeed a very complex machine that is capable of processing a significant amount of information. Stimulating its different regions to work in a coordinated effort is proven to be an effective way to improve memory and boost specific brain functions needed in performing simple and complex tasks.

 

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