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What is Working Memory?
What is Working Memory?
It is a cognitive system with a limit capacity to store information temporarily. This includes everyday tasks such as:
Memorizing a phone number
Listening to directions
Learning a colleague's name
Working Memory processes information through communication between the prefrontal and temporal cortex, but in adults over the age of 65 activation of the prefrontal cortex decreases during working memory tasks.
Why tACS Stimulation?
Why tACS Stimulation?
The current neurostimulation technique is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). This device has several limitations:
Immobile Device
Must be performed by a trained professional
Daunting for Patients
General Frequency of Application for all Patients
The prefrontal and temporal cortex communicate via a theta frequency which is unique to each individual and varies due to environmental factors. Therefore, to improve working memory performance stimulation should be performed at a personalized frequency. TMS's magnetic field creates interference in the electrical signal reading device (EEG device), so this method cannot be used concurrently while reading the individual's personalized frequency.
tACS: Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation outputs a sinusoidal wave which can be adjusted to different frequencies.
Our Goals
Our Goals
Design an analysis method to quickly and accurately obtain conclusions from a 3-back working memory task and EEG data.
Design and build a equipment capable to perform tACS stimulation and collect EEG signal.
Verify the idea that working memory can be improved by stimulating specific regions of the brain.
Page Designer: Sophia Perinotto
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