Thursday 23 February 2012

Mild Electrocution To Brain May Boost Spatial Memory

More shocking news!!!!


A mild electrical shock to the brain before learning a new task may enhance memory, researchers reported on Wednesday.

A team of neuroscientists demonstrated that electrical stimulation to a critical junction in the brain appeared to boost memory in a few patients with epilepsy, a surprising finding that have implications for Alzheimer’s disease treatment.

Dr. Itzhak Fried and his team from the University of California Los Angeles were initially researching the source of epileptic seizures in the brains of seven patients with electrodes that were implanted deep in their brain, and discovered that electrical stimulation to the entorhinal cortex with the embedded electrodes improved participants’ scores on a spatial memory task.

Researchers had the patients play a video game where participants had to drive people around in taxis to different shops in a virtual city, and tested whether stimulation of the entorhinal cortex or the hippocampus while participants were learning their way around the city improved their recollection.

“When we stimulated the nerve fibers in the patients’ entorhinal cortex during learning, they later recognized landmarks and navigated the routes more quickly,” said Fried. “They even learned to take shortcuts, reflecting improved spatial memory.

if you cant remember where you put your car keys, please do not put your fungers in the cigarette lighter socket though...


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