Location
Moultrie, GA
Start Date
17-4-2026 12:00 PM
End Date
17-4-2026 1:00 PM
Description
Introduction: The ability to retain and recall information is vital in daily life, but various conditions can impact memory. Improving memory can help address neurocognitive disorders like Alzheimer's disease and age-related memory impairments. Research shows that memory processing involves the prefrontal and temporoparietal brain regions, with the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) playing a key role in encoding and the right DLPFC in retrieval. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been studied to determine their potential in enhancing both working and long-term memory. This review aims to evaluate the effects of NIBS on memory in healthy adults by consolidating relevant research findings.
Methods: The current study was pre-registered with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Mata-Analyses (PRISMA, CRD42023454789) and followed the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention. This review consisted of a comprehensive search of electronic databases, including PubMed, PsycInfo, and PsycNet, for empirical studies published in English between 1995 and 2023. Our search utilized strict keywords. This initial search yielded 15,328 scientific articles. Eligible articles included those with the following inclusion criteria: 1) empirical article, 2) humans subjects aged 18 or older with no history of psychiatric or neurological disorders, 3) utilized at least one measure of NIBS, and 4) included at least one post-NIBS outcome measure of memory. 460 articles were identified to meet inclusion criteria and 66 finalized in the review, with duplicates removed. Articles were reviewed with data extracted consistent with standards outlined in Hawker et al. (2002).
Results: Findings indicate that the effects of NIBS on memory depend on stimulation modality, brain targets, timing, task demands, age, and session frequency. Anodal stimulation of the left DLPFC enhances encoding, particularly with memory training, while cathodal stimulation impairs recognition. tDCS studies show mixed results: 2 mA stimulation of the DLPFC improved working memory in older adults, though practice effects may contribute, and anodal tDCS during retrieval benefits verbal episodic memory in both young and older adults, with left-sided stimulation being most effective in older populations. Morning administration and online stimulation during task performance yield the strongest effects. TMS studies show that left frontotemporal stimulation impairs short-term memory, while right-sided stimulation has no effect on long-term memory, with task-specific improvements observed in reaction time and search accuracy when stimulating motor and occipital regions. Increasing intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) blocks did not enhance outcomes, highlighting the need for precise stimulation parameters. These findings underscore the complex, context-dependent effects of NIBS on cognitive functions and its potential for memory impairment treatments.
Conclusion: By targeting neural circuits involved in memory, NIBS interventions have the potential to enhance memory performance and mitigate age-related cognitive decline. However, findings remain mixed due to variability in study designs. Prior reviews are informative but limited by small samples and minimal focus on neurotypical adults, reducing clinical relevance. Accordingly, this review systematically examines NIBS studies in neurotypical adults to synthesize findings into a framework for informing future applications in neurodegenerative disorders.
Embargo Period
5-29-2027
The Effects of Non-invasive Brain Stimulation on Memory: A Systematic Review
Moultrie, GA
Introduction: The ability to retain and recall information is vital in daily life, but various conditions can impact memory. Improving memory can help address neurocognitive disorders like Alzheimer's disease and age-related memory impairments. Research shows that memory processing involves the prefrontal and temporoparietal brain regions, with the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) playing a key role in encoding and the right DLPFC in retrieval. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been studied to determine their potential in enhancing both working and long-term memory. This review aims to evaluate the effects of NIBS on memory in healthy adults by consolidating relevant research findings.
Methods: The current study was pre-registered with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Mata-Analyses (PRISMA, CRD42023454789) and followed the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention. This review consisted of a comprehensive search of electronic databases, including PubMed, PsycInfo, and PsycNet, for empirical studies published in English between 1995 and 2023. Our search utilized strict keywords. This initial search yielded 15,328 scientific articles. Eligible articles included those with the following inclusion criteria: 1) empirical article, 2) humans subjects aged 18 or older with no history of psychiatric or neurological disorders, 3) utilized at least one measure of NIBS, and 4) included at least one post-NIBS outcome measure of memory. 460 articles were identified to meet inclusion criteria and 66 finalized in the review, with duplicates removed. Articles were reviewed with data extracted consistent with standards outlined in Hawker et al. (2002).
Results: Findings indicate that the effects of NIBS on memory depend on stimulation modality, brain targets, timing, task demands, age, and session frequency. Anodal stimulation of the left DLPFC enhances encoding, particularly with memory training, while cathodal stimulation impairs recognition. tDCS studies show mixed results: 2 mA stimulation of the DLPFC improved working memory in older adults, though practice effects may contribute, and anodal tDCS during retrieval benefits verbal episodic memory in both young and older adults, with left-sided stimulation being most effective in older populations. Morning administration and online stimulation during task performance yield the strongest effects. TMS studies show that left frontotemporal stimulation impairs short-term memory, while right-sided stimulation has no effect on long-term memory, with task-specific improvements observed in reaction time and search accuracy when stimulating motor and occipital regions. Increasing intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) blocks did not enhance outcomes, highlighting the need for precise stimulation parameters. These findings underscore the complex, context-dependent effects of NIBS on cognitive functions and its potential for memory impairment treatments.
Conclusion: By targeting neural circuits involved in memory, NIBS interventions have the potential to enhance memory performance and mitigate age-related cognitive decline. However, findings remain mixed due to variability in study designs. Prior reviews are informative but limited by small samples and minimal focus on neurotypical adults, reducing clinical relevance. Accordingly, this review systematically examines NIBS studies in neurotypical adults to synthesize findings into a framework for informing future applications in neurodegenerative disorders.