SUPERHUMAN memory has a special appeal. Who could resist the idea of remembering everything they wanted to, without trying? Learning would be made easy, exams a breeze and you would never forget where you left your keys. Oh and memory-related disorders like Alzheimer鈥檚 would have met their match.
So it is of little surprise that scientists have turned their attention to ways of enhancing human memory using techniques that stimulate, supplement or even mimic parts of the brain. The immediate goal is to treat memory disorders, but the idea of a memory prosthesis for everyday life is gaining ground. 鈥淲e鈥檙e at the point now where on the one hand it鈥檚 very exciting, but on the other it鈥檚 controversial because we are not only treating disorders, we鈥檙e trying to enhance mental functions,鈥� says at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
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Master your memory
The truth about memory is far more elaborate than we previously thought. Here鈥檚 your guide to how it really works
One approach is deep brain stimulation (DBS), which involves zapping an affected brain area with an implanted electrode. This is already used in the treatment of Parkinson鈥檚 disease and epilepsy, among other conditions.
Implanting electrodes in brain regions responsible for memory, such as the hippocampus, . And small studies have even suggested that DBS might reverse some of the damage seen in certain people with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, halting the shrinking of the hippocampus and potentially encouraging it to grow bigger.
DBS is still a blunt tool, however. A more-advanced approach is to artificially recreate the same electrical activity in the brain that happens when memories form. One such 鈥渕emory prosthesis鈥� has already been shown to work in people with memory problems resulting from epilepsy. The researchers involved taught an algorithm to learn the pattern of brain activity that occurs when memories go into long-term storage using data they collected from the patients鈥� brains as they were learning. They then used implanted electrodes to simulate this activity, causing memories to be stored in the brain. The implant boosted memory performance by 30 per cent. A similar technique might even be used to implant memories directly, which could also help those with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.
Techniques like these involve invasive surgery, so have been reserved for people with neurological disorders for whom the benefits might outweigh the risks. But many of those behind the research envision a time when any of us could be walking around with implants quietly boosting our brain function.
鈥淚t鈥檚 controversial because as well as treating disorders, we are trying to enhance mental functions鈥�
The projects are backed by big names and big money. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has been since 2013, as part of its Restoring Active Memory programme, which seeks to help improve memory in the injured brain.
In 2016, entrepreneur Bryan Johnson invested $100 million in his company Kernel, which seeks to develop brain implants to boost intelligence. The company started by focusing on memory. Since then, Elon Musk has joined the action. The engineer and investor, who heads Tesla and SpaceX, has co-founded a venture called Neuralink. He wants his brain-machine interfaces to merge aspects of human and machine intelligence. One goal is to outsource the hard work of memory-making, whether to combat disease or put an end to worries about where we left the keys.
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Top tips to boost your memory
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Get active 鈥撎�Exercising after learning will help facts stick. For best results, .
Quiz yourself听鈥撎�When it comes to revision, reviewing the material isn鈥檛 enough. You need to test yourself repeatedly too.
Take a break听鈥撎�You鈥檒l remember more if you take regular breathers from learning. For best results, do something totally different and absorbing.
Timing matters听鈥撎�Teenagers remember better if they learn in the afternoon or evening, while older adults tend to have morning brains.
Try interval training听鈥撎�There鈥檚 a 鈥渟weet spot鈥� for when you should revise. Revisit material at a point 10 or 20 per cent of the way between the time of learning and of taking a test to improve your memory by at least 10 per cent.
Sleep on it听鈥撎�Snoozing shortly after learning new facts or skills helps the brain reinforce its memory traces 鈥� especially if you have a test the next day.
Chew gum听鈥撎�. However, the effects are short-lived, so save your chewing for when you need it most.
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Kate Douglas
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淐an I supercharge my memory?鈥�
