Can you juice up your gray matter? Study finds mild electrical stimulation improves brain function in the elderly

( Natural News ) Aging is inevitable – and with it, comes memory loss. But a recent study in Nature Neuroscience presents a novel therapy to improve cognition in older adults. In their report, researchers from Boston University noted how 25 minutes of non-invasive electrical stimulation led to improvements in working memory in older adults. “These findings are important because they not only give us new insights into the brain basis for age-related working-memory decline, but they also show us that the negative age-related changes are not unchangeable,” explained lead author Robert Reinhart, a professor at BU. Giving your brain an “electric” boost Working memory refers to the brain’s ability to hold and manipulate information over brief intervals . People use working memory all the time, even if they don’t know it – to recall a phone number, a conversation, and even a set of instructions. This ability, researchers say, is central to many brain functions, including a person’s intelligence and even basic sensory processes. Psychologists and neuroscientists are interested in studying working memory, albeit for different things. While the former’s goal is to map the functions of the system, the latter wants to understand its neural underpinnings. It’s worth noting that working memory is different from long-term memory, which involves the storage of information in a more stable and durable form. But researchers have long thought that working memory is a gateway into long-term memory — repeat working memory enough, and it becomes permanent. Discover how to prevent and reverse heart disease (and other cardio related events) with this free ebook : Written by popular Natural News writer Vicki Batt, this book includes everything you need to know about preventing heart disease, reversing hypertension, and nurturing your cardiac health without medication. Learn More. While this function is very […]

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