Can A Magnet Boost Your Attention and Focus?

Since ancient Greece, magnets have been touted for their ability to reduce pain and swelling and heal painful conditions like arthritis and migraines. Scientists have approved this ancient practice—at least in its modern guise—using pulsed electromagnetic frequencies. The procedure stimulates bone growth and helps heal post-operative pain and hard-to-treat depression.

Scientists are investigating how magnetic therapy can help your cognitive function, improve attention and focus, and even curb memory loss. Judging by the results of the latest study, they’re onto something…

Key Takeaways

• Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive, painless procedure that stimulates the brain with a magnetic field, enhancing neural connections and cognitive abilities.
• rTMS is effective in improving memory and executive function, as shown in studies involving patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.
• Recent research indicates rTMS can significantly improve cognitive performance in early-stage Alzheimer's patients, suggesting its potential to maintain brain function and delay disease progression.

Understanding Modern-Day Magnets and Memory

Magnetic therapy has taken on different forms over the years, from magnets placed directly on the skin or embedded in bands, braces, or shoe inserts to pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) devices.

Magnetic therapy has relieved pain by altering how pain signals are perceived by the body and increasing natural pain-killing compounds in the body. It has also been reported to increase blood flow by causing blood vessels to dilate. Finally, pulsed electromagnetic frequencies can influence cellular functions, promoting healing at the cellular level.

Magnets have been studied for everything from pain management and bone healing to depression and neurological disorders. Recent research points to the value of one magnetic therapy in particular for promoting sharper cognitive function.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is the latest magnetic therapy that researchers are studying for its benefits to cognitive function. It’s a non-invasive and painless procedure. The patient must sit in a chair while a device containing a coil is placed above their head. When switched on, the coil creates a magnetic field.

This induces a small electrical current in the brain that stimulates nerve cells and helps strengthen brain connections. It’s used in clinics to treat major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and migraine.

Improves Learning Even in Young Adults

A review of 13 studies comprising 293 patients with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s found rTMS improved memory and significantly enhanced executive function. [1]

Joel Voss at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine led a study published in 2014 on healthy volunteers aged 21 to 40 using rTMS to stimulate the hippocampus, a key memory area of the brain. Since the hippocampus lies too deep inside the brain to be stimulated directly by magnetic fields, the researchers focused on an area close to the skull surface with high connectivity to the hippocampus.

Its effectiveness in targeting the hippocampal network and improving the volunteers’ ability to recall information surprised Dr. Voss.

“I was astonished to see that it worked so specifically. This noninvasive stimulation improves the ability to learn new things. It has tremendous potential for treating memory disorders.” [2]

It’s still in the testing phase for the treatment of Alzheimer's, but studies conducted so far have shown that rTMS improves cognition.

Clear Benefits for Alzheimer’s Patients

Thirty patients aged between 55 and 90, all with early-stage Alzheimer's disease, were divided into two groups. Eighteen patients received 20 sessions of rTMS over four weeks targeted at the hippocampal network, while twelve had sham treatment with no magnetic stimulation. They were assessed at the end of the four-week trial and then again at eight weeks to see if the procedure had lasting effects.

The team evaluated the effectiveness of rTMS using the ADAS-Cog scale, which tests verbal fluency, word recognition, memory recall, and other cognitive abilities.

The findings showed significant improvements among the rTMS group after four and eight weeks. After eight weeks, the rTMS group had improved ADAS-Cog scores, which were superior to those of the control group, especially on the memory tests. In two other scales that measure planning, thinking, and condition severity, researchers found a significant difference between the two groups in favor of rTMS.

The best part? The researchers documented the cognitive improvements with a brain scan. An analysis of brain imaging data confirmed that rTMS increased functional connectivity between the hippocampus and the precuneus, located on the brain's outer part.

The researchers concluded by writing in their paper, published in JAMA Network Open in May, that rTMS has the potential to maintain brain function and delay disease progression and should be considered to help the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. [3]

Our Takeaway

If you’re interested in trying rTMS it is widely available at many hospitals and specialized medical clinics, particularly those focused on mental health, neurology, and pain management. You can also find a provider through the Clinical Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Society.

Meanwhile, the most effective way to increase your attention, focus, and mental recall is still living a healthy lifestyle. This includes eating a whole-food diet rich in vegetables, lean meats, healthy fats, and antioxidant-rich fruit. Regular exercise and getting a good night’s sleep is also critical. In fact, regular sleep has been linked to a sharper, clearer memory.

Summary

Magnetic therapy, specifically repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), shows promise in enhancing cognitive function, improving memory, and curbing Alzheimer's disease. This non-invasive and painless procedure involves stimulating brain areas to strengthen neural connections. Recent studies have demonstrated significant improvements in memory and executive function in both young adults and Alzheimer's patients following rTMS treatment, indicating its potential as a future therapy for cognitive disorders.