Improving Memory by Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep stimulation 'boosts memory'

"Following surgery, the patient recovered for two months. But later when the electrodes were stimulated for a second time, he experienced a similar effect. After three weeks of constant electrical stimulation the patient performed better in memory tests than he had previously done. A year later he again performed well in memory tests when the electrodes were stimulated, but less well when they were switched off. The results suggest it might be possible to use deep brain stimulation directly to boost memory. " BBC News

Deep brain stimulation has previously been shown to have success in treating anhedonia, depression, parkinson's and several other conditions of the brain. You can see a short video of this technology here and a longer video here. This new discovery of memory improvement appears to be a side effect of trying to treat a person's obesity. It seems a little worrisome that they stumbled on this finding accidentally while attempting to improve a condition that was totally unrelated. The good news, though, is that this may become a new treatment option for people with memory disorders, like those who have Alzheimer's disease. I certainly think this is more likely to have a positive effect on patients than the questionable "Alzheimer's hat" that has recently gotten media attention. Though it seems like as a treatment option, deep brain stimulation is always going to be limited in scope because it requires the patient to undergo brain surgery. Brain surgery carries numerous risks and most people would probably pass at the chance of getting it done. However, this new discovery may lead to a better targeting of specific brain areas using deep transcranial magnetic therapy in order to improve memory for alzheimer's patients. Deep tms has the benefit of being non-invasive, so the real world application may be greater.