Brain stimulation boosts memory

Our brain works by firing off electrical impulses. The team at Boston University used this in order to boost memory. They asked volunteers to wear a cap filled with electrodes, then used precise electrical currents to alter their brainwaves in 20-minute sessions of brain stimulation.

These took place every day for four days, and the group's ability to remember a list of words was tested. The results, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, showed improvements in memory lasted at least a month.

The researchers were able to boost two types of memory. They improved the volunteers' long-term memory, which is how we can remember our first day at school, and also working memory, which is for the here and now, such as remembering what platform your train's on.

The researchers are now investigating whether this technology can be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, when brain cells have already started dying, as well as in schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.


词汇表
fire off 发射，发送
electrical impulses [ɪ'lektrɪk(ə)l][ˈɪmpʌls] 电脉冲（神经系统中传递信息的电信号）
boost [buːst] 提高，改善
electrode [ɪˈlektrəʊd] 电极
precise electrical currents [prɪ'saɪs] ['kʌrənt] 精确的电流
brainwave [ˈbreɪnˌweɪv] 脑电波；灵感
brain stimulation [ˌstɪmjəˈleɪʃən] 脑电刺激
journal Nature Neuroscience [ˈdʒɜː(r)n(ə)l][ˈnjʊərəʊˌsaɪəns] 《自然-神经科学》期刊
the here and now 此时此刻，当前
brain cells [sel] 脑细胞
Alzheimer's disease [ˈæltshaɪməz] 阿尔茨海默病，老年痴呆
schizophrenia [ˌskɪtsəʊˈfriːniə] 精神分裂症
obsessive-compulsive disorder [əbˌsesɪv][kəmˈpʌlsɪv][dɪˌsɔːdər] 强迫症

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