Claims magnetic brain stimulation helps memory

“Magnetic brain stimulation treatment shown to boost memory,” The Guardian reports. A new study found that magnetic pulses improved recall skills in healthy individuals. It is hoped that the findings of this study could lead to therapies for people with memory deficits such as dementia.

Researchers investigated the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) every day for five days on connections within the brain and on associative memory (the ability to learn and remember relationships between items – such as “1066” and the “Battle of Hastings”).

TMS is a non-invasive technique that uses an electromagnet placed against the skull to produce magnetic pulses that stimulate the brain.

In this study, TMS of a specific area of the brain was compared to “sham” stimulation in 16 healthy adults.

TMS was found to improve performance on the associative memory test by over 20%, whereas sham stimulation had no significant effect.

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Dementia patients 'face unfair care tax'

Dementia patients in the UK face a "care tax" because they are left to sort out much of the care they need themselves, experts say.

The Alzheimer's Society found that on average, the equivalent of £32,242 a year was spent on care per patient.

But the researchers said on average only a third - £10,784 - came from NHS or council funds, leaving a shortfall.

The charity said it was unfair as those with cancer or heart problems got their care free on the NHS.

The research - carried out by the London School of Economics and Kings College London - was carried out to update figures compiled by the charity in 2007.

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Memory-Loss stops “Internal Clock” for those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia as they lose “sense of time”

When we can’t remember what happened in the past, we lose a “sense of time” or any expectation for the future. Even if the future is only a few minutes away.

A “sense of time” is formed by multiple memories which create an “internal clock” that tells us when it’s time to get up, go to work, have lunch or go to bed. We do all these things because we’ve formed a memory in our “internal clock.”

Most of us take our “inner clock” for granted, yet our daily schedule is regulated almost entirely by a “sense of time” created by memories.

We know what day it is because we know what happened yesterday. We know what time it is because we just woke up and know we’ll be leaving for work soon. When someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia is unable to remember yesterday, or last night, or 5 minutes ago, he doesn’t know what day it is. And, he will not have a “sense of time” to tell him what will happen a few moments from now or hours from now.

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Five lifestyle changes 'could reduce dementia risk'

A jog, a Mediterranean diet, and learning a new hobby are among the top five tips to stave off dementia - but one in five Britons think there is nothing they can do.

One in five people do not think it is possible to reduce their risk of dementia, despite growing evidence that the condition is linked to lifestyles, a survey has found.

Research suggests one in three cases of the condition could be prevented by increased activity levels, a reduction in smoking and tackling health problems such as obesity and diabetes.

Last month a landmark study by Cambridge University suggested that just one hour’s exercise a week can reduce the chance of Alzheimer’s disease by almost half.

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