Researchers at the University of Toronto say it could be beneficial for people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of memory impairment……
Dubbed HippoCamera for its ability to mimic the function of the brain’s hippocampus in memory construction and retention, the app improves the encoding of memories stored in the brain by increasing attention to daily events and consolidating them more clearly, thereby which then allows a richer and more complete memory. .
In a two-step process, HippoCamera users record a short video of up to 24 seconds of a moment they want to remember with a brief eight-second audio description of the event. The app combines the two elements just as the brain’s hippocampus would, with the accelerated video component to mimic aspects of hippocampal function and facilitate efficient review. The cues produced by HippoCamera are then played back by users at later times on a selected and regular basis to reinforce memory and enable detailed recall.
The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , shows that regular users of the app were able to recall 50% more details about everyday experiences that took place up to six months earlier than if they had only recorded events. and never reproduced them. The new research suggests that systematically reactivating memories of recent real-world experiences may help maintain a bridge between the present and the past in older adults and holds promise for people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s or other diseases. forms of memory impairment. The study also found that reviewing memory cues with the HippoCamera resulted in more positive feelings during post-retrieval.
The brain scans showed that playing back the HippoCamera’s memory cues changed the way these everyday experiences were encoded in the hippocampus, which has a well-established role in storing detailed memories of recent experiences. Memory-related activity in the hippocampus was more distinctive, meaning that HippoCamera playback helps ensure that memories of different events remain separate from each other in the brain.
A key factor in HippoCamera’s effectiveness, the researchers say, is the sense of purpose and intent inherent in its use. By its very design, the intervention prompts clients to think about what it is they want to remember and why a particular moment is important to them, and then regularly re-engage with the memories in a meaningful way.
The researchers note that as people begin to lose their existing memories at any point in their lives, as well as their ability to create new ones, they begin to lose their sense of self. As a result, they often become disconnected from the people and events in their lives.