Scientists from the University of Wake Forest and the University of South California have made a groundbreaking achievement in the field of neuroprosthetics. They have developed a unique model of memory decoding, known as the Memory Decoding Model (MDM), which has the ability to restore specific memories. This new discovery, published in the journal Frontiers in Computation Neuroscience, offers promising possibilities for the treatment of memory loss-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, and head injuries.
A total of 14 adults with epilepsy participated in the studies, which involved the surgical implantation of electrodes in their Hippocampus. The Hippocampus is the region of the brain responsible for the formation of new memories. The researchers conducted an innovative process to help the Hippocampus encode specific information. They found that when the brain attempts to save or recall information, like remembering if the stove was turned off or where the car keys were placed, cell groups within neural ensembles work together to activate and store that information. By analyzing the activity of these brain cells, the scientists developed the MDM model, which allows them to decipher the neural activity associated with storing different fragments of specific information.
The decoded neural activity is then used to create a pattern or code that can be utilized for neurostimulation of the hippocampus when the brain is attempting to save information. This process has shown significant improvements in memory tasks, particularly in visual memory recognition tasks involving images. Participants who had impaired memory function experienced memory improvement in nearly 40% of cases after both sides of their brain were stimulated.
The study was funded by DARPA and is the culmination of over 20 years of preclinical research on memory codes. The development of the MDM model opens up new possibilities in the treatment of neurological disorders associated with memory loss. It may serve as the foundation for personalized treatment methods aimed at restoring patients’ ability to live independently and assisting them in recalling crucial information.