Brain Stimulation for Memory Loss
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
This trial tests new methods to improve memory through brain stimulation. Researchers use two types of electrical stimulation, Direct Electrical Stimulation (DES) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), to determine if they can enhance memory performance by targeting specific brain signals. The goal is to understand how these signals affect memory and to develop better treatments for memory disorders. Suitable participants for this trial are those who speak English as their first language and have normal vision, either naturally or with corrective lenses. As an unphased trial, this study allows participants to contribute to groundbreaking research in memory enhancement.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.
What prior data suggests that these stimulation methods are safe for memory enhancement?
Research shows that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is generally safe and well-tolerated. Studies have found that TMS can improve memory without causing serious side effects. Seizures or memory loss, common with treatments like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), rarely occur with TMS.
In contrast, the evidence for direct electrical stimulation (DES) remains less clear. Some studies suggest it might help with memory and attention, but it is still considered experimental. More research is needed to confirm its safety and effectiveness.
Overall, TMS has a stronger safety record in humans, while DES is still under investigation. Prospective participants should discuss potential risks and benefits with the study team.12345Why are researchers excited about this trial?
Researchers are excited about the trial because it explores innovative brain stimulation techniques to tackle memory loss. Unlike current treatments that may not directly target the brain's memory centers, this trial focuses on enhancing memory performance using TMS and DES with specific parameters. These methods aim to improve memory by directly influencing brain activity patterns associated with memory recollection, offering potential new ways to boost memory that differ from existing drugs or therapies. The trial also uses a cutting-edge approach by integrating machine learning to tailor stimulation, potentially leading to personalized treatments for memory-related conditions.
What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for memory loss?
Research has shown that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), one of the treatments studied in this trial, can enhance memory and thinking skills. Studies indicate that TMS can improve focus, decision-making, and both short-term and long-term memory, benefiting individuals with mild memory problems and Alzheimer's disease. In this trial, participants will receive TMS stimulation using HITS.
Another treatment arm involves direct electrical stimulation (DES) with HITS parameters. Previous studies have shown mixed results for DES. While it can enhance some memory types, like object recognition, it might impair others, such as remembering locations or words. Overall, TMS appears more consistently beneficial for memory improvement than DES.36789Who Is on the Research Team?
Joel Voss, PhD
Principal Investigator
University of Chicago
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This trial is for adults over 18 who speak English natively and have normal or corrected vision. It's aimed at those experiencing forgetfulness or memory loss, looking to understand how their brain activity relates to memory.Inclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Treatment
Participants undergo hippocampal indirectly targeted stimulation (HITS) and direct electrical stimulation (DES) to test memory performance
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after stimulation procedures
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- DES electrical stimulation
- TMS electrical stimulation
Trial Overview
The study tests the effects of two types of brain stimulation (TMS and DES) on cognitive functions and memory. Participants will undergo these stimulations while performing tasks that require thinking and remembering.
How Is the Trial Designed?
3
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Hippocampal indirectly targeted stimulation (HITS) will be applied in patients with epilepsy undergoing intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) monitoring. iEEG signals of episodic memory behavioral performance will be obtained from clinical macroelectrodes and research microelectrodes in a specialized memory task involving encoding and retrieval of naturalistic scenes along with eye-movement tracking. Memory behaviors of interest will include recollection during old/new decisions and spatiotemporal replay of eye-movement patterns. HITS will be applied for \~2 s immediately before each scene onset during encoding, using parameters that have yielded enhanced versus impaired performance in this experiment design
We will develop, test, and refine for future experiments a normative model of DES parameters to achieve experimental bi-directional manipulation of iEEG correlates of episodic memory. We will identify common features of the DES parameters that were algorithmically determined to mimic the iEEG signals of memory enhancement or impairment by HITS in the Experiment 2 dataset. Analyses will account for individual differences in stimulated electrode locations, in iEEG functional connectivity of stimulated electrodes, in the success of behavioral modification, and in the accuracy of mimicking the iEEG effects of HITS, to enable predictions about how to apply DES parameters in stimulation-naïve subjects given their idiosyncratic electrode placements and brain activity patterns.
We will test the behavioral significance of iEEG correlates of memory enhancement and impairment using a rigorous approach involving DES. Direct electrical stimulation (DES) parameters will be identified that reproduce as closely as possible the iEEG signatures of memory enhancement or impairment caused by HITS. This will be accomplished using a closed-loop machine learning approach to maximize the similarity of the iEEG signals evoked by DES and the iEEG signals evoked by HITS, during memory encoding.
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of Chicago
Lead Sponsor
Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
Collaborator
Washington University School of Medicine
Collaborator
Citations
The Paradoxical Effect of Deep Brain Stimulation on Memory
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising treatment for many memory-related disorders including dementia, anxiety, and addiction.
2.
health.harvard.edu
health.harvard.edu/blog/can-electrical-brain-stimulation-boost-attention-memory-and-more-202303032898Can electrical brain stimulation boost attention, memory ...
Stimulating specific regions of the brain with low levels of electricity might improve focus or memory, mood, or even dementia, according to tDCS advocates.
Direct Electrical Stimulation of the Human Entorhinal ...
Deep brain stimulation in the entorhinal region and hippocampus impairs memory. Stimulation at 50 Hz impairs both spatial and verbal memory encoding.
Direct electrical stimulation of the amygdala enhances ...
Amygdala stimulation reliably improved later object-recognition memory with no elicited emotional response, and this memory enhancement was ...
Direct Electrical Stimulation of the Human Entorhinal Region ...
Given the success of DBS in other areas, we were disappointed to find that our approach to entorhinal and hippocampal DBS did not improve memory performance.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Global Cognition in ...
Current evidence suggests that tDCS provides short-term cognitive benefits, particularly in memory and attention, with moderate effects observed in processing ...
Study of the Brain Stimulation Effect on Memory Impairment ...
Study of the Effect of the Chronic Electric Stimulation of the Hypothalamus/Fornix on Memory Impairment in Alzheimer Disease. Conditions. Memory Disorders.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive ...
This study presents the first bibliometric analysis of the literature on tDCS in the rehabilitation of cognitive impairment, highlighting key areas of research ...
Transcranial Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Dementia
The tES is one of the techniques used to stimulate the brain of a person with dementia. Recent evidence had shown that tES alone or in combination with ...
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