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Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS for Memory Enhancement
Published on: September 18, 2021
Auras localized to the temporal lobe disrupt verbal memory and learning - Causal evidence from direct electrical
Diana Pizarro1,2, Emilia Toth1,2, Auriana Irannejad2
1Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, United States of America.
Abstract:
Auras (focal aware seizure; FAS) are subjective ictal events with retained consciousness. Epileptiform activities can disrupt cognitive tasks, but studies are limited to seizures with impaired awareness. As a proof of concept, we examined the cognitive effects of direct electrical stimulation to the left hippocampus which induced a habitual FAS in a patient with left mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. During the induced habitual FAS, verbal memory performance declined significantly as compared to pre-stimulation testing. Tasks measuring auditory working memory and psychomotor processing speed were not affected by the stimulation. The study confirms that FAS can impair episodic verbal memory and learning.
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