Brain prosthesis improves memory

A ‘memory prosthesis’ seems to boost people’s ability to remember new information. It consists of a deep-brain electrode that records and then mimics the electrical activity pattern of the hippocampus, a brain region that has a crucial role in memory. Twenty-four people, who had already had electrodes implanted to study their epilepsy, volunteered to try the device: it improved their performance in short- and long-term memory tests by up to 54%.