Brain stimulation used like a scalpel can improve memory, says study

Image for representational purpose only

New York: A new study has found that non-invasive brain stimulations can work like a scalpel to improve the precise memory of a human.

It can also be used as a treatment for those who have memory problem because of brain injury.

Precise memory is critical for knowing details such as the specific colour, shape and location of a building you are looking for, rather than simply knowing the part of town it is in.

A team of researchers from the Northwestern University conducted the study and found that by stimulating the brain network responsible for spatial memory with powerful electromagnets, the precision of people's memory for identifying locations improved.

Joel Voss, assistant professor.Joel Voss, assistant professor, "We show that it is possible to target the portion of the brain responsible for this type of memory and to improve it".

The scientists used MRI to identify memory-related brain networks then stimulated them with non-invasive electromagnetic stimulation.

The paper, published in the journal Current Biology, paves the way for developing new treatments for people who have problems with precise memory because of brain injury.

(With IANS inputs)