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Magnetic Stimulation Boosts Memory In Humans

Posted by Soulskill on from the better-learning-through-fridge-magnets dept.

sciencehabit writes: Our memories are annoyingly glitchy. Names, dates, birthdays, and the locations of car keys fall through the cracks, losses that accelerate at an alarming pace with age and in neurodegenerative diseases. Now, by applying electromagnetic pulses through the skull to carefully targeted brain regions, researchers have found a way to boost memory performance in healthy people. The new study (abstract) sheds light on the neural networks that support memories and may lead to therapies for people with memory deficits, researchers say. Similar studies have been performed using electric current.

7 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. "Carefully targetted" by i+kan+reed · · Score: 3, Informative

    Somehow, I think I'll be seeing bullshit products on infomercials that are "proven" to enhance memory that won't actually do anything besides "be magnets that cost $100".(5 easy payments of $19.99)

    1. Re:"Carefully targetted" by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 3, Funny

      Instead of a magnetic arm bracelet, it will be a magnetic halo for your head in order to give you god-like memory abilities. (only 5 easy payments of $19.99)

      Bah! I've been doing this for years... people just couldn't see it because of the aluminum foil!

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
  2. Let's get this out of the way... by jeffb+(2.718) · · Score: 4, Informative

    These are magnetic pulses. No, strapping magnets to your wrist/ankle/belly/tinfoil-hat still won't accomplish anything.

    1. Re:Let's get this out of the way... by timrod · · Score: 3, Funny

      Oh great, NOW you tell me. I already stole all the magnets from the company kitchen and made a hat out of them. Oh well, if nothing else it'll be a great conversation starter.

    2. Re:Let's get this out of the way... by jeffb+(2.718) · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's the rate of change of magnetic flux that does the trick. You get changing flux from a changing electrical current, or from a moving magnet. So maybe if you loaded the magnets into a shotgun, then fired them through your brain, you'd notice an effect.

    3. Re:Let's get this out of the way... by jenningsthecat · · Score: 3, Funny

      subwoofers ...causing headaches and annoying bystanders.

      Subwoofers - causing annoying bystanders for over 50 years!

      Don't you just love the playful ambiguities of the English language?

      --
      'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
  3. Re:pulsing by jeffb+(2.718) · · Score: 4, Funny

    "How long" isn't the question, but "how fast". You should be accelerating it to a few kilometers/sec, then reversing its velocity when it's a few millimeters from your scalp. You should probably do this in a vacuum, to avoid confounding influences from shockwaves.