Do you usually lose your keys? Do you sometimes do not remember where you have parked your car? Good (or bad) memory depends on the state of your brain at all times , according to a new study from the University of California Davis published in the journal PNAS.
Charan Ranganath and his colleagues analyzed the brains of several students while they underwent a memory test in which they had to remember a series of words linked to certain contexts. Specifically, the researchers measured brain waves called theta , electromagnetic oscillations in the brain associated with relaxation, creativity, learning and memory formation . They were then asked if they had seen a certain word and in what context. Thus they observed that high theta waves before remembering something were associated with better results. "The brain is not simply waiting for an external stimulus to react, but is busy with its own internal activity," concludes Ranganath. The question now is to find out if you can voluntarily "put" the brain in an optimal state for memory. If so, the technique would not only help students and professionals improve their performance, but could be used to treat memory problems and amnesia .
