Deep brain stimulation enhanced the memory of epilepsy patients with recall problems, a small study has found.
Neurologists say this result “breaks new ground” in exploratory treatments for Alzheimer’s and dementia.
In a study of seven epilepsy patients, surgeons drilled holes in participants’ skulls in order to stimulate the entorhinal area in the brain — one of the first areas to be damaged by Alzheimer’s. When this area of the brain was stimulated, the participants demonstrated improvement in their short-term memory.
The study was published in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
From the March 01, 2012 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News