Abstract
Background10 Hz electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha rhythms correlate with memory performance. Alpha and memory decline in older people. We wished to test if alpha-like EEG activity contributes to memory formation. Flicker can elicit alpha-like EEG activity. We tested if alpha-frequency flicker enhances memory in older people. Pariticpants aged 67–92 identified short words that followed 1 s of flicker at 9.0 Hz, 9.5 Hz, 10.0 Hz, 10.2 Hz, 10.5 Hz, 11.0 Hz, 11.5 Hz or 500 Hz. A few minutes later, we tested participants' recognition of the words (without flicker).ResultsFlicker frequencies close to 10 Hz (9.5–11.0 Hz) facilitated the identification of the test words in older participants. The same flicker frequencies increased recognition of the words more than other frequencies (9.0 Hz, 11.5 Hz and 500 Hz), irrespective of age.ConclusionThe frequency-specificity of flicker's effects in our participants paralleled the power spectrum of EEG alpha in the general population. This indicates that alpha-like EEG activity may subserve memory processes. Flicker may be able to help memory problems in older people.
Highlights
The principal electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythmic slow activity (RSA) – the 10–12 Hz alpha rhythm – relates to memory functions in healthy adults [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
We presented flicker during memory encoding and found that only frequencies closer to 10.2 Hz –the endogenous alpha frequency with peak power – enhanced later recognition
Our study provides a stringent test of our a priori hypothesis that only flicker frequencies close to the peak frequency of endogenous alpha would enhance memory
Summary
The principal electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythmic slow activity (RSA) – the 10–12 Hz alpha rhythm – relates to memory functions in healthy adults [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. Alpha power may relate to episodic memory [8,9]. It diminishes in old age [10] and in Alzheimer's disease [1114], but anti-dementia drugs can increase it [15,16]. Alpha and memory decline in older people. We wished to test if alpha-like EEG activity contributes to memory formation. We tested if alpha-frequency flicker enhances memory in older people. A few minutes later, we tested participants' recognition of the words (without flicker)
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