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Zapping the brain may boost memory: study- 2-Mar-2016
London: Brain stimulation, or delivering short bursts of low intensity electrical currents, may boost memory and mental performance, according to a new study that may lead to new treatments for conditions such as PTSD, depression and anxiety.
The breakthrough study by researchers from Catholic University Medical School in Italy involved the use of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on the mice.
A non-invasive technique for brain stimulation, tDCS is applied using two small electrodes placed on the scalp, delivering short bursts of extremely low-intensity electrical currents.
Understanding how this technique works biochemically may lead to advances in the treatment of conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety - which affect learning and memory in otherwise healthy individuals, the researchers said.
The implications of this research also have great potential to strengthen learning and memory in both healthy people and those with cognitive deficits such as Alzheimer's.
"We already have promising results in animal models of Alzheimer's disease," said Claudio Grassi, from the Catholic University Medical School in Italy, who led the research.
After exposing the mice to single 20-minute tDCS sessions, the researchers saw signs of improved memory and brain plasticity (the ability to form new connections between neurons when learning new information), which lasted at least a week.
This intellectual boost was demonstrated by the enhanced performance of the mice during tests requiring them to navigate a water maze and distinguish between known and unknown objects.
Using data gathered from the sessions, the team discovered increased synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, a region of the brain critical to memory processing and storage.
The researchers identified the actual molecular trigger behind the bolstered memory and plasticity - increased production of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a protein essential to brain growth.
BDNF is synthesised naturally by neurons and is crucial to neuronal development and specialisation.
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