The authors investigated whether peripheral tactile nerve stimulation might improve memory in patients with iProbable Alzheimer s disease. The hypothesis was derived from animal studies in which peripheral stimulation resulted in activation of septo-hippocampal neurons. Our data meveal that tactile stimulation improved visual short-term, visual long-!erm, and verbal long-term mem orv in Alzheimer patients. In addition, an enhancement in verbal fluency was demonstrated. After a period of six weeks without stimulation, nio noticeable effects remained.
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