A recent groundbreaking study found a way to increase memory performance. By recording the memories of patients as they were being formed, the researchers were able to later ‘play’ them back. Amazingly, this procedure improved their memory performance by 37 percent.

Focusing on episodic memory, this system could potentially alter the lives of Alzheimer’s patients.

Study Increases Memory Performance Using a Patient’s ‘Brain Cell Code’

Funded by the US Department of Defense’s military research department, this recent pilot study was the first of its kind. Being able to identify a patient’s pattern for memory, the researchers wrote code that would make the patient’s existing memory work better.

In this study, 10 epilepsy patients were examined. Since these patients had been undergoing a separate experiment to map their brains, electrodes were already in place. These patients were then asked to study a simple, minimalist image while the researchers recorded their brain activity.

The researchers than made the screen blank before asking the participants to identify the image from five options. Previously recording each patient’s memory, they found that while playing this coded memory back into the hippocampus, performance improved by nearly 40 percent.

Since this region of the brain is responsible for memory formation and spatial recognition, this application may significantly improve the lives of Alzheimer’s patients. As stated by Dr Robert Hampson at Wake Forest Baptist, “In the future, we envision this system as an implant which will provide support to an individual’s ability to both encode and store new information.”

Following this initial test, the participants were then shown a more complex photographic image. They were then asked to identify the image our of four or five other photographs. The main difference was that this photo identification took place 75 minutes later. In this case, playing the recorded memory improved recall by 35 percent.

These findings were published in the Journal of Neural Engineering.

The Connection Between Episodic Memory and Alzheimer’s

The human brain relies on various memory systems, including episodic, working, procedural, and semantic. Normal aging does lead to changes in the brain, impacting both memory and learning. With Alzheimer’s, however, these changes are based on damage that is much more severe and progressive in nature.

While focusing on episodic memory, this involves the temporal lobe. This is the region that includes the hippocampus. Since this structure is one of the first regions affected by Alzheimer’s, this disease begins to affect an individual’s ability to recall recent events. For example, where they put their car keys or where they parked their vehicle.

As stated by researchers from Cambridge Cognition, identifying the ‘pre-clinical’ stage of Alzheimer’s is not only challenging, but time-consuming and expensive. Their goal was to test episodic memory in correlation with Alzheimer’s biomarkers. This is why pre-screening instruments, including the BrainTest® app are highly recommended.

The Science Behind Self-Administered Tests

Our app is based on the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam (SAGE). This scientifically validated online test was first developed by researchers at Ohio State University. Created in order to detect the early warning signs of cognitive impairment, this test can be completed in the comfort of your home in as little as 15 minutes.

BrainTest® is recommended for anyone who would like to establish a baseline in regards to their cognition. Uniquely designed to detect early changes, this app can support a more timely and accurate Alzheimer’s, dementia, or mild cognitive impairment diagnosis.

Taken in the privacy of your home, this test will address various domains, including language, memory, reasoning, orientation, and executive function. Once you obtain your baseline report card, you will be able to track your memory and cognition across time.

Download BrainTest® on the App Store or on Google Play today.