Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –
Researchers Center of Language and Brain HSE was one of the first to use transcranial alternating current stimulation to find out whether it could affect the memorization of new words. The authors of the experiment have not yet found a connection between the acquisition of words and brain stimulation, but they believe that changing the stimulation parameters may show different results in the future. The study was published in the journal Language, Cognition and Neuroscience.
The ability to remember and correctly use new words is a vital skill for human communication. Throughout life, a person learns new words in their native language and also studies foreign languages. Learning new words is a complex cognitive process, the mechanisms of which are not yet well understood.
Modern neuroimaging techniques such as electroencephalography, magnetic resonance imaging, or magnetoencephalography allow us to look inside the brain and see which areas are activated during certain processes. However, it is impossible to establish the nature of the connection between stimulation and brain processes—whether it is random or causal. The use of alternating current in experiments changes the situation: it allows us to modulate rhythms of a certain frequency and track their role in neuronal processes.
Researchers from the HSE Center for Language and Brain were among the first to test whether weak electrical stimulation of the brain in the theta frequency can help a person memorize new words more effectively. They invited 30 healthy volunteers to participate and asked them to learn 80 fictitious words that were matched with Russian nouns. During the training, the participants were stimulated with a weak current in the theta rhythm range (3.5–7.5 Hz) over the left frontal-temporal areas of the brain, which are associated with speech and memory. The theta frequency was also chosen for a reason. Previous studies have shown that it is the theta rhythms that help transfer information from short-term memory to long-term memory.
After training with stimulation, the authors of the experiment checked how the participants remembered the words. There was also a separate stage with training and testing without stimulation to compare the results of the participants.
The researchers found no improvement in learning new words with stimulation compared to placebo. The researchers note that learning new words activates complex neural networks that include both the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus, which is difficult to stimulate from the surface of the head.
“Although our study did not find a direct effect of alternating current stimulation on memorization, we have made an important step towards creating new methods for supporting language learning. We will continue research in this direction, but subsequent experiments will be aimed at other areas of the brain and types of stimulation,” notes the lead author of the work, junior research fellow at the HSE Center for Language and Brain Anna Komissarenko.
In the future, the team plans to test a different frequency and phase of electrical stimulation, change the location of the electrodes, and expand the experiments to various cognitive functions. This will help to more accurately understand how the brain’s electrical activity affects learning and memory, which, in turn, will allow us to develop methods for accelerated language learning, create rehabilitation programs after strokes and injuries, and optimize neurostimulation to improve memory.
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