Brain implants that enhance the natural capabilities of humans seems only a matter of time before such devices become a reality. Now, for the first time ever, a group of researchers from the University of Southern California have designed and demonstrated a brain implant that can improve human memory, and which may prove to be revolutionary in the treatment of one of the world’s most devastating diseases. The implant consists of multiple electrodes that mimic how the brain naturally processes memories by giving small electric shocks to regions of the hippocampus (the memory centre of the brain) which strengthen the neural pathways the brain uses to create memories.
The team tested the device on 20
volunteers who were each fitted with the electrodes and shown images in a short
presentation, which they were asked to recall up to 75 seconds later. The
researchers then analysed the brain activity of the participants to identify
the regions that activated while they were using their memory. In a second
session, the implants were used to stimulate these brain areas with small
electric shocks and the short-term memory of the participants was found to
increase by about 30%. While a brain implant that boosts memory would make life
easier for students it could be profoundly life-changing for people who suffer
from long-term-memory loss such as patients with Alzheimer’s.
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