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transcranial neurostimulation

Manipulation of primary memory, synonymous with mental control. Pathology: - damage to the prefrontal cortex results in impaired working memory - working memory declines in older adults (60-76 years vs 20-29 years) [2] - deficits are linked to desynchronization of rhythmic activity between the prefrontal regions that evaluate information & the temporal regions that store it Special laboratory: - electroencephalography (EEG) - age-related working-memory deficits are associated with uncoupling of frontotemporal theta (4-8 Hz) & left temporal theta-gamma (> 25 Hz) phase amplitudes on EEG [2] Complications: - negative effects of long-term, repeated application of transcranial neurostimulation or its usefulness in real world applications is unknown [2] Management: - targeted high-definition transcranial alternating-current stimulation tuned to individual brain network dynamics for 25 minutes rapidly normalizes cortical-rhythm disruptions, restoring phase synchronization typical of younger adults [2] - phase coordination associated with improvement in accuracy of working memory, persisting at least 50-minutes poststimulation [2] - transcranial direct current stimulation activating the right prefrontal cortex might enhance creative thinking [2] - transcranial alternating-current stimulation can improve both short-term memory & long-term memory for at least 1 month in older adults, including elderly with mild cognitive impairment [3]

Specific

transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

General

neurostimulation (nerve stimulation)

References

  1. Reinhart RMG, Nguyen JA. Working memory revived in older adults by synchronizing rhythmic brain circuits. Nat Neurosci 2019 Apr 8; PMID: 30962628 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-019-0371-x
  2. Hertenstein E, Waibelb E, Frase L et al. Modulation of creativity by transcranial direct current stimulation. Brain Stimul 2019 Jun 5 PMID: 31231043 https://www.brainstimjrnl.com/article/S1935-861X(19)30229-3/fulltext
  3. Brooks M Noninvasive Brain Stimulation May Boost Memory for at Least 4 Weeks. Medscape. August 23, 2022 https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/979649 - Grover S, Wen W, Viswanathan V et al Long-lasting, dissociable improvements in working memory and long-term memory in older adults with repetitive neuromodulation. Nature Neuroscience. 2022. 25, pages 1237-1246. August 22. PMID: 35995877 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-022-01132-3