Scientists Test Whether Brain Stimulation Could Help Sharpen Aging Memory

A lab member tests transcranial brain stimulation on a research subject at Boston University. Courtesy of Rob Reinhart
A lab member tests transcranial brain stimulation on a research subject at Boston University. Courtesy of Rob Reinhart

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BY JONATHAN LAMBERT

It’s an unfortunate fact of life — as we age, we tend to become more forgetful.

Aging brains struggle especially with working memory. Called the workbench of the mind, working memory allows us to store useful bits of information for a few seconds, and use that information across different brain areas to help solve problems, plan, or make decisions.

Researchers are trying to understand why this ability fades as we age, and whether we can slow, or reverse, that decline.

One leading hypothesis contends that working memory works by far-flung brain areas firing synchronously. When two areas are on the same brain wavelength, communication is tight, and working memory functions seamlessly.

But as we age, these brain areas start falling out of step, and these once tightly linked brain areas are no longer on the same page. A study published Monday in Nature Neuroscience demonstrates a link between these mismatched brain rhythms and declines in working memory in older adults and shows that a precise form of electrical stimulation applied to the scalp can coax these brain areas back into sync.

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On May 25, a number of supporters of the Tacoma For All initiative for tenant protections, rallied in front of the City Hall building. Photo by Lauren Gallup.

Supporters of tenant rights bill make their voices heard at city hall

Organizers from the housing justice group Tacoma For All and their supporters gathered with signs and megaphones Thursday afternoon to show their support of the initiative, known colloquially as a tenant bill of rights, which Tacoma For All hopes to get on the ballot for voters this fall.
The rally took place before a meeting of the city’s Community Vitality and Safety Committee, where city councilmembers Catherine Ushka, Keith Blocker, Sarah Rumbaugh, and Kiara Daniels were briefed on the city’s proposed changes to the Rental Housing Code.
Continue Reading Supporters of tenant rights bill make their voices heard at city hall