Researchers working on brain implant to help in Alzheimer’s memory loss

An electronic brain implant under development aims to reverse memory loss.

The device mimics the function of the hippocampus, one of the first regions of the brain to be damaged in Alzheimer's disease.

The implant uses a small array of electrodes, that effectively "translates" neural memory signals into a form suitable for long-term storage. The implant had only been tested on animals so far.

According to an early study of nine patients who already had electrodes implanted in their brains to control epilepsy indicated the system would likely work with 90 per cent accuracy.

For the test, scientists used computer software to record brain signals and mirror their translation in hippocampus.

"Being able to predict neural signals with the... model suggests that it can be used to design a device to support or replace the function of a damaged part of the brain," says professor Robert Hampson, one of the scientists from Wake Forest Baptist University in the US.

The team would next attempt to translate signals back into a brain with damaged hippocampus to trigger the formation of long-term memory.

Dr Clare Walton, research manager at Alzheimer's Society, says, "Although this sounds like the stuff of science fiction stories, the researchers are addressing a major problem for people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia - the ability to lay down new memories. The practical upshot of this is that people may have clear memories of events from their childhood but can't remember the details of what took place yesterday.

''The hippocampus is vital for remembering new events, people and places and it's one of the first parts of the brain to be damaged in Alzheimer's disease. In theory this device has the potential to help people to form new memories even when their hippocampus is damaged.

"A prosthetic memory device is a very exciting prospect, but it has taken decades of research to get this far and there are still many unknowns that need to be worked out by the scientists. It's encouraging to see these cutting edge technologies being applied to help people affected by memory loss, but this isn't something that people with dementia can expect to be readily available in the next decade.

"If this device is developed further and successfully tested in humans, it could prove to be an effective treatment for some of the symptoms of dementia, however it will not cure or slow down the progression of the condition."