For The First Time Ever Scientists Have Boosted Human Memory With a Brain Implant

Science

A growing problem

While a better memory could be useful for students cramming for tests or those of us with trouble remembering names, it could be absolutely life-changing for people affected by dementia and Alzheimer's.

As Bill Gates noted when announcing plans to invest US$100 million of his own money into dementia and Alzheimer's research, the disease is a multi-level problem that's positioned to get even worse.

Age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's, according to the Alzheimer's Association, with the vast majority of sufferers over the age of 65.

With advances in medicine and healthcare continuously increasing how long we live, that segment of the population is growing dramatically, and by 2030, 20 percent of US citizens are expected to be older than 65.

This increase in the number of potential dementia sufferers can be costly in both a financial and emotional sense.

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In 2016, the total cost of healthcare and long-term care for those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease was an estimated $236 billion, and according to the Alzheimer's Association, the more severe a person's cognitive impairment, the higher the rates of depression in their familial caregivers.

Of course, further testing is required before Song's device could be approved as a treatment for dementia or Alzheimer's, but if it is able to help those patients regain even part of their lost memory function, the impact would be felt not only by the patients themselves, but their families and even the economy at large.