Scientists have found a way to boost memory in humans
April 10, 2018 | 23:02 |4100
A man conquered space, solved the secrets of antiquity and learned to control the weather, almost ... But the human brain – the generator of all conceivable and unconceivable ideas – is still a mystery. For a long time scientists are trying to find out the principles of brain activity and ways of its artificial amplification. With the development of science, this idea no longer seems impossible. Recently, a group of scientists funded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has experimentally proven the possibility of improving human memory with implants. The team implanted the “neuroimplant” in 15 volunteers who had a case of epilepsy and its consequences – the loss of short-term memory. These people were already receiving electrodes in their brain to treat their epilepsy, so adding the extra system did not require an additional procedure. The implant is there to strengthen the normal pathways the brain uses to create a memory. Whenever we receive a stimulus from the outside world, a series of complex electrical signals travel through several regions of the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain. As it passes through this region, the signal is changed to something different and can be sent off to the long-term memory repository. The tests were done in two parts: First, the team collected brain activity data on the subjects as they learned. Then, they had the implant stimulate the same areas of the brain that lit up during the original memory test. The test was a simple short-term memory boosting exercise. Upon reviewing the results, the scientists were able to conclude that there was a 37 percent increase in the short-term memory power and an average of 35 percent for the long-term memory trails. These were really amazing metrics said Robert Hampson, lead study author. Hampson sums up the whole process, as “When we tested patients by stimulating their hippocampus with a pattern that was derived from their own neural activity… we were able to improve their short-term memory by quite a bit and to record the sequence of formation of the code by which the brain forms long-term memories”. However, the implant is still experimental; the researchers are currently in discussions to commercialize the technology. Moreover, its broad applicability is unknown, having been tested so far only in people with epilepsy. In the near future, scientists plan to conduct research that is more extensive with people suffering from brain injuries and other conditions that damage memory. Nevertheless, the results of this experiment – an average memory improvement of one third for all participants – inspires optimism and allows us to hope for success in the future.Maya AMANMURADOVA
