Effects of Electrical Brain Stimulation on Memory

Imagine that day comes when you wake up tired, you wear a device that will give you power immediately like a charger to your phone and you start working. Sounds strange right? Don’t worry I also felt strange but the fact is these days Electrical brain stimulation (EBS) has become a vast topic of research and experiments.

It promises positive results like boosting attention, memory, etc. But is it safe? What are the benefits? What are the effects of electrical brain stimulation? Let’s discuss in this article what exactly it is.

What is electrical brain stimulation?

It is a non-invasive technique used in research and clinical neurobiology to stimulate the brain by using current. It can be direct or indirect excitation of the cell membrane of a neuron.

Electrical brain stimulation is mainly two types:

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): uses the magnetic field to induce an electrical current in the brain.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): uses direct electric current

Both of these techniques have been shown to modulate the activities of neurons in targeted regions of the brain.

What are the benefits of electrical brain stimulation?

Electrical brain stimulation can be used to treat diseases like depression, Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain and Alzheimer’s disease (4). In a study, it has been observed that depression patients show fewer symptoms after therapy.

Much research shows that electrical brain stimulation can help to enhance cognitive functions like memory, attention and learning.

One study was published in the journal “neuron”, that when tDCS is applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improved working memory in healthy people.

One more study was published in “Brain Stimulation” that says that TMS applied to the parietal cortex helps to improve visual attention in healthy adults.

Effects of electrical brain stimulation on Memory

Electrical brain stimulation has promising effects on memory, particularly on working memory. Let’s discuss some research findings on the effect of electrical brain stimulation on memory:

Effects on working memory

Working memory is a crucial cognitive function of our brain that is essential for many activities like problem-solving, decision making and language comprehension. Research shows that electrical brain stimulation can help to enhance working memory in adults and people suffering from neurological disorders. (2)

Effects on long-term memory

A study published in the journal”Cortex” says that TMS applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improved recognition memory in healthy people.

Long-term memory can store and retrieve information over a long period.

Effects of electrical brain stimulation on brain functions:

Electrical brain stimulation has a wide range of effects on brain function (3). It can stimulate my brain function through the current. Here is a list of some general effects of electrical brain stimulation on brain functions:

Improve motor function: electrical brain stimulation helps to improve motor function and also helps to reduce symptoms of movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease.
Mood modulating: electrical brain stimulation help to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms and also help to improve mood.
Enhance the cognitive function of the brain: this technique helps to enhance function like attention, memory and learning.
Reducing pain: it helps to reduce pain in chronic pain conditions like neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia.
Reduce addiction: it also helps in reducing addiction by reducing cravings.
Sleep modulating: improve sleep quality in people with sleeping disorders.
Reduce tinnitus: tinnitus is ringing in the ears that can be distressing, electrical brain stimulation helps to reduce symptoms of tinnitus.
Improve language function: help to improve language function in people suffering from aphasia.
Social cognition: help to improve the ability to understand and interact with others.

Effects of electrical brain stimulation can vary from person to person and the specific brain region that is targeted.

Risk and side effects associated with electrical brain stimulation:

Generally, electrical brain stimulation is considered safe, but there are some risks associated with its use as this technique uses direct current. More serious risks are seizures and damage to brain tissue but these are rare. More chances are when the electrical current is too high or the electrode is misplaced.

The long-term effects of electrical brain stimulation are still not clear, more research is required to fully understand its potential benefits and risks.

Side effects of electrical brain stimulation may depend on the amount of current, the site of the current application, and the type of stimulation. Here is a list of some possible side effects:

Tingling or itching sensation
Nausea
Vomiting
Headache
Dizziness
Seizures
Mood swings
Skin irritation
Cognitive changes

It is important to note that all these side effects are temporary and subside after some time. The risk associated with this can also be reduced by properly using technology and taking proper measures. While taking therapy if you feel any side effects please inform your healthcare providers.

Conclusion

Electrical brain stimulation is a promising technology for enhancing the cognitive function of the brain. It can help to improve memory and brain functions. It can be used for the treatment of many disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and depression. It is generally considered safe but there are some risks associated with its use. Still, it is a vast topic to research and to be understood. Much research is going on to understand the effects of electrical brain stimulation on various brain activities. Always discuss potential risks and side effects with the patient.

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