Doctors stumble upon memory boost

[Royston]

Researchers have discovered the use of deep brain stimulation can cause a boost in memory. Please take a look at the BBC article below...

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7213972.stm

From the BBC article;

 

Electrical stimulation of areas deep within the brain could improve memory, early research suggests

A team of doctors in Canada stumbled upon the finding while attempting to treat a morbidly obese man through deep brain stimulation (DBS). The electrical stimulation caused the patient to experience vivid memories.

 

The findings, reported in the Annals of Neurology, potentially pave the way for electrical stimulation to treat disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Lead researcher Professor Andres Lozano, of the Toronto Western Hospital, said: "This is a single case that was totally unexpected.

 

The technique involves implanting electrodes into the brain: in this case into an area in the limbic system called the hypothalamus, which is thought to control the appetite.

[thedarkshade]

Cool! The first thing I thought when I saw the thread was "can I buy the stuff, so I could increase my own memory?"

 

Although the park and the 20-year-old thing sound like a hallucination to me, perhaps it's a bight hope to people dealing with diseases in which this process may apply!

 

Great info Snail,

Cheers!

[Mr Skeptic]

Deep brain stimulation can also be used for things like curing major depression. It is a new science, and it has both great potential and great risk. Perhaps by doing it more we will learn more about our brains, and gain more control of ourselves.

[jeremyhfht]

I'm skeptical. Using electricity like that might cause some damage to our neurons and other parts of our brain.

[Mr Skeptic]

I'm skeptical. Using electricity like that might cause some damage to our neurons and other parts of our brain.

 

Yup. That's why it is usually a more or less last resort to start sticking stuff in the brain. There's also a risk or physically cutting the wrong neurons, or inserting the electrodes in the wrong place. But for some things, it works really well (like an extremely well targetted drug).

[Psycho]

Yup. That's why it is usually a more or less last resort to start sticking stuff in the brain. There's also a risk or physically cutting the wrong neurons, or inserting the electrodes in the wrong place. But for some things, it works really well (like an extremely well targetted drug).

Seems a bit dodgy to me when something like this happens, it just proves they don't have enough data and research on the brain to be doing this and at some point it will go wrong that's if it already hasn't.

[zule]

Seems a bit dodgy to me when something like this happens, it just proves they don't have enough data and research on the brain to be doing this and at some point it will go wrong that's if it already hasn't.

 

You have to weight up pros and cons:

 

If you have a terrible depression which doesn’t get better with any treatment, perhaps it is better to take risks than to live with that.

 

If someone has Alzehimer, we know that with the present treatments he is going to be everyday worst. If you use this treatment (in the case that be proven that it really works), perhaps you stop the progression of the disease. It can go wrong and the patient go worst before time, so the probabilities would have to be known to act accordingly.

[Royston]

You have to weight up pros and cons:

 

If you have a terrible depression which doesn’t get better with any treatment, perhaps it is better to take risks than to live with that.

 

If someone has Alzehimer, we know that with the present treatments he is going to be everyday worst. If you use this treatment (in the case that be proven that it really works), perhaps you stop the progression of the disease. It can go wrong and the patient go worst before time, so the probabilities would have to be known to act accordingly.

 

Absolutely, it's merely a last resort, patients will be made aware of the risks involved. With a disease as debilitating as Alzheimers, a last resort would be welcome for many, despite the risks. As much as I'd love to sit here discussing the ethics of the treatment (personally I don't think there's much to discuss) I stuck this in neuroscience (not biomedical ethics) for interest value, I think the findings are fascinating...and significant if this one case, is not a one off, it's very early stages.

 

I'll try to remember to post any further developments of the treatment, as soon as they're available.

[dichotomy]

I’m sure I heard that some physicians use a variation of this technique to treat Parkinson's disease, and I was right.

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071025143321.htm

 

I remember seeing a TV docu with this Parkinson's sufferer giving himself a portable battery pack jolt to the hypothalamus everytime he felt he wasn't functioning. He seemed to think it was the best solution he had tried.

[Mr Skeptic]

Seems a bit dodgy to me when something like this happens, it just proves they don't have enough data and research on the brain to be doing this and at some point it will go wrong that's if it already hasn't.

 

Of course it goes wrong. This thread is an example of such, where they apparently activated his memories instead of finding a solution to obessity. Just remember that the electrodes can easily be turned off, so it's not like its a particularly bad mistake.

[valy]

Cool! The first thing I thought when I saw the thread was "can I buy the stuff, so I could increase my own memory?"

 

Cheers!

 

You don't need that.

 

[[MOD NOTE: LINK REMOVED AS SPAM]]

Edited January 22, 2009 by mooeypoo

[bucknduck]

There are a number of studies on Deep Brain Stimulation going on. St. Jude's & Medtronics are both racing to better understand the possibilities.

 

http://www.broadenstudy.com (actual study)

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/520659

http://www.shockmd.com/2008/09/04/deep-brain-stimulation-for-depression (video)

278-005.blogspot.com (An actual study participant)

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104908.php

 

I believe it's been installed on over 40,000 Parkinson's sufferers to relieve the tremors, but programming the units seems to be an art, not a science yet. Regardless, it is FDA approved for that.

http://www.dbs-stn.org/articlesdetails.php?ID=3

 

Neuropsychology is in its infancy.