Combined Therapies Outperform Each Used Alone
The scientists first tested these combined therapies in 84 young adults. They gave each one a fun and engaging task that tests working memory on a computer screen. (The task can also be used as a training tool to improve working memory.) In addition, the young adults received transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) which the scientists administered via a mobile wireless device. This form of stimulation has also been shown to enhance working memory by delivering a low electrical current to the brain. Results revealed the two-pronged strategy improved working memory over and above either strategy used alone. However, and this is important, the researchers only saw benefits in individuals with an initial low working memory capacity. In other words, the worse your working memory, the better your results!Memory Improves Even In The Oldest Patients
The findings suggested to the researchers that older adults, especially those whose working memory is impaired due to normal or abnormal aging, would probably benefit even more than young people. So, for their new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in October, they put their speculation to the test. They enrolled 28 healthy men and women aged 55 to 76 and split them into two groups. Both groups did the computer training exercises for 20 minutes a day over five days. During the training one group received tDCS while the other group received sham stimulation, with the current switched off. The researchers measured participants’ working memory capacity before the study began and two days after completion. Results demonstrated that working memory improved significantly in all participants, regardless of age or whether they received tDCS. Importantly, and as expected, the combination of training and tDCS showed particular benefit in older people with lower initial working memory. This subset included people aged 69.5 to 76. The advantage was evident from the first day of training and became statistically significant by the end of training. Senior author Dr. Sara Assecondi explained, saying, “…our approach uses online tools, and delivers brain stimulation via a device that can be used anywhere, with the dose determined remotely by the physician.” Her colleague Professor Gail Eskes added: “Intensive exercises at just the right difficulty are important for increasing brain capacity or efficiency. And the game-like aspects increase motivation and make it easier to stick with the challenging sessions.” Another member of the team, Professor Kim Shapiro, commented, saying, “Although cognitive decline in the elderly is an inevitability, approaches such as [ours], in combination with regular physical exercise, can stem this decline and provide individuals with a higher quality of life.”