Zapping the brain with electricity twice a day could help to fight Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers from Ningbo University in China put a low-intensity current through the brains of patients suffering from mild to moderate dementia and compared them to a control group that received a bogus treatment.

All 63 patients showed improved skills in word recall and recognition after six weeks compared to none in the control group.

Scientists have theorised that the non-invasive and painless therapy – known as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) - "fires up" the brain's ability to change and enables "rewiring" in the organ.

Electrodes were placed on the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain used for planning, decision-making, and memory.

The team says that the results "strongly indicate" that the treatment is a "significant and promising intervention for improving cognitive function".

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