Study pinpoints possible treatment for memory loss

It's a universal moment of dread. Someone with a familiar face approaches and panic ensues; you can't remember his or her name. New research suggests that this embarrassing incapacity may be helped by a shock — of electricity, that is. Scientists from Temple and the University of Pennsylvania discovered that a low jolt of electrical current to the brain improved name recall in young adults by 11 percent. A subsequent experiment on older adults replicated the findings. "These findings hold promise because they point to possible treatments for memory rehabilitation following a stroke or other neurological insult," said senior author and Temple psychologist Ingrid Olson.
Feb. 20, 2011 | Miller-McCune