Project description
Innovative device to improve memory and learning process
Based on the latest neuroscience research, the relationship between sleep and the consolidation of memory is pivotal for the learning process. More specifically, recently accumulated evidence pointed more to the relationship between slow-wave sleep (SWS) and memory. This data could help us fight the memory loss associated with age or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer´s. Using the relevant scientific resources, the EU-funded MEMBOOST project presents a hardware device for the modulation of sleep to significantly improve memory and learning processes. The low-cost, wearable, innocuous solution consists of a module for recording and processing the electrical signal (EEG) in real-time and is very easy to use.
Objective
"Advances in neuroscience have returned the focus on learning, placing the relationship between sleep and consolidation of memory at the centre of academic debate. There are two types of sleep: rapid eye movements and slow wave sleep (SWS). Although both types of sleep have been related to memory consolidation, accumulated evidence points more to the relationship between SWS and memory (L. Marshall, et al., ""Boosting slow oscillations during sleep potentiates memory"", Nature, vol 444, No. 7119, pp. 610-613, Nov. 2006). In addition, it has recently been shown that the SWS promotes the formation of new synapses after learning (G. Yang, C. S. W. Lai, J. Cichon, L. Ma, W. Li, and W. B. Gan, ""Sleep promotion branchspecific formation of dendritic spines after learning"", Science, vol.344 no. 6188, pp. 1173-1178, 2014).
The general objective of MemBoost is the modulation of sleep for the significant improvement of memory and learning process. The Hardware is a low cost wearable device, innocuous and very easy to use, which consists of a module for recording and processing the electrical signal (EEG) in real time that, by means of a software in a mobile device, is able to distinguish between different states of wakefulness and sleep and produce a non-invasive (audible) stimulus to be delivered to the user and thus produce sleep modulation. Sleep modulation is achieved by synchronized stimulation in phase with the brain's electrical activity. In this sense, modulation is understood as the process of modifying one of the qualities of sleep, in this specific case the duration and quality of slow wave sleep, SWS, are modified.
Unlike other applications available on the market, MemBoost is based on solid and recent scientific and academic research that demonstrates improvements in learning up to 22% with the use of technology in a single night, it continued use could reduce the symptoms of memory loss associated with age or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer´s."
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesneurobiology
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesinternetinternet of things
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurologydementiaalzheimer
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinephysiotherapy
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurologystroke
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
28027 MADRID
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.