Electric Stimulation May Aid Memory

A mild zap of electricity to part of the brain may help people to learn better, a new study suggests. Other researchers are hoping this approach someday may help people with Alzheimer’s disease. The study was done on seven people with epilepsy. They originally had electrodes implanted in their brains to help surgeons find the source of their seizures. The new study used these electrodes to stimulate parts of the brain involved in learning. People played a video game that had them take the role of taxi drivers in a small town. They searched for passengers and dropped them off at stores. They were given zaps of electricity when they learned how to find some stores, but not others. They could not feel the stimulation. People found stores faster and by more direct routes if they had learned where the stores were during brain stimulation.