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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Scientists Test Whether Brain Stimulation Could Help Sharpen Aging Memory [npr.org]

One leading hypothesis contends that working memory works by far-flung brain areas firing synchronously. When two areas are on the same brain wavelength, communication is tight, and working memory functions seamlessly.

But as we age, these brain areas start falling out of step, and these once tightly linked brain areas are no longer on the same page. A study published Monday in [nature.com] [DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0371-x] [DX [doi.org]] Nature Neuroscience demonstrates a link between these mismatched brain rhythms and declines in working memory in older adults and shows that a precise form of electrical stimulation applied to the scalp can coax these brain areas back into sync.

Applied to the brain via a skullcap studded with electrodes, an experimental form of transcranial brain stimulation delivers alternating current to a small group of neurons to nudge them to a specific wavelength. Imagine two giant pendulums swinging at different rates. The brain stimulation nudges each pendulum with a pair of electrical hands pushing at the same frequency, causing them to sync up and swing synchronously.

Also at The Guardian [theguardian.com].

Related: Memory Enhancement Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) [soylentnews.org]
Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation Could Speed Learning by 40% [soylentnews.org]
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Could Reduce People's Intentions to Commit Violence [soylentnews.org]
Scientists Connect 3 Actual Human Brains (Then Make Them Play Tetris) [soylentnews.org]

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