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Working memory revived in older adults by synchronizing rhythmic brain circuits
Reinhart RMG, Nguyen JA.. Nature neuroscience, 2019-04-08
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Understanding normal brain aging and developing methods to maintain or improve cognition in older adults are major goals of fundamental and translational neuroscience. Here we show a core feature of cognitive decline-working-memory deficits-emerges from disconnected local and long-range circuits instantiated by theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling in temporal cortex and theta phase synchronization across frontotemporal cortex. We developed a noninvasive stimulation procedure for modulating long-range theta interactions in adults aged 60-76 years. After 25 min of stimulation, frequency-tuned to individual brain network dynamics, we observed a preferential increase in neural synchronization patterns and the return of sender-receiver relationships of information flow within and between frontotemporal regions. The end result was rapid improvement in working-memory performance that outlasted a 50 min post-stimulation period. The results provide insight into the physiological foundations of age-related cognitive impairment and contribute to groundwork for future non-pharmacological interventions targeting aspects of cognitive decline.
Key findings
- After 25 min of stimulation, frequency-tuned to individual brain network dynamics, we observed a preferential increase in neural synchronization patterns and the return of sender-receiver relationships of information flow within and between frontotemporal regions.
- The end result was rapid improvement in working-memory performance that outlasted a 50 min post-stimulation period.
- The results provide insight into the physiological foundations of age-related cognitive impairment and contribute to groundwork for future non-pharmacological interventions targeting aspects of cognitive decline.
Why it matters
In adults aged 60 to 76, 25 minutes of noninvasive brain stimulation tuned to each person's brain rhythms improved working memory for at least 50 minutes after stimulation. This is a small physiological study of age-related cognitive decline, not a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 56/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 54 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 56 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Nature neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Nature Neuroscience: journal h-index 593 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 650 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 72.2 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 41.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 249 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author John A. Nguyen holds only 4 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Boston University: institution h-index 1,456 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30962628) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 54 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 54 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 56 out of 100. |
| Total | 56 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Reinhart, R. M. G., & Nguyen, J. A. (2019). Working memory revived in older adults by synchronizing rhythmic brain circuits. Nature neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0371-x
Vancouver
Reinhart RMG, Nguyen JA. Working memory revived in older adults by synchronizing rhythmic brain circuits. Nature neuroscience. 2019. doi:10.1038/s41593-019-0371-x. PMID: 30962628.
BibTeX
@article{reinhart2019-30962628,
author = {Reinhart, R. M. G. and Nguyen, J. A.},
title = {{Working memory revived in older adults by synchronizing rhythmic brain circuits}},
journal = {Nature neuroscience},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1038/s41593-019-0371-x},
pmid = {30962628},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0371-x}
}
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