Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Turns Back Clock on Memory

The approach temporarily improved the performance of older adults on memory tasks to be on par with people in their 20s.

Written byJef Akst

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Noninvasive stimulation of key brain regions could help people reverse the common age-related decline in working memory—our ability to remember names, numbers, and other tidbits of information—according to a study published in Nature Neuroscience today (April 8). The approach, known as transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), allowed researchers to improve the synchronization of activity between the frontal cortex and the temporal cortex, which appears to be important for working memory.

“This study suggests that age-related impairment in one particular form of short-term memory largely reflects a failure of synchronization,” Michael Kahana, a brain scientist at the University of Pennsylvania who was not involved in the research, tells The New York Times. If the approach is validated in additional studies and proves useful for improving other types of memory, he adds, “it could be a game changer for the treatment of age-related memory decline and possibly even ...

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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