Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026
10:37
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Memory Enhancement
Published on: September 18, 2021
Prolonged visual memory enhancement after direct current stimulation in Alzheimer's disease
Paulo Sergio Boggio1, Roberta Ferrucci2, Francesca Mameli3
1Social and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory and Developmental Disorders Program, Center for Health and Biological Sciences, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Sao Paolo, Brazil.
Brain Stimulation
|August 16, 2011
Summary
Multiple sessions of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) significantly improved visual recognition memory in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. This memory enhancement persisted for at least 4 weeks post-therapy, suggesting tDCS as a potential adjuvant treatment for AD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Single transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) sessions temporarily boost memory in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.
- The long-term effects of multiple tDCS sessions on AD memory performance remain largely uninvestigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate memory changes in AD patients following five consecutive daily sessions of anodal tDCS applied to the temporal cortex.
- To assess the sustained impact of tDCS on cognitive functions in Alzheimer's disease.
Main Methods:
- Fifteen AD patients participated across two centers.
- Anodal tDCS was administered bilaterally over temporal regions for 30 minutes daily at 2 mA for 5 days.
- Cognitive functions, including visual recognition memory, were assessed pre- and post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Anodal tDCS significantly improved visual recognition memory performance by 8.99% compared to baseline.
- Sham stimulation led to a 2.62% decrease in memory performance.
- tDCS did not significantly alter general cognitive measures or visual attention.
Conclusions:
- Five daily sessions of anodal tDCS over the temporal cortex enhance visual recognition memory in AD patients.
- The observed memory improvements were sustained for at least 4 weeks.
- Anodal tDCS shows promise as an adjunctive therapy for Alzheimer's disease management.
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