{"id":10597,"date":"2016-11-10T10:03:29","date_gmt":"2016-11-10T16:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=10597"},"modified":"2020-10-13T18:18:04","modified_gmt":"2020-10-13T23:18:04","slug":"a-kernel-of-hope-for-people-with-memory-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/11\/a-kernel-of-hope-for-people-with-memory-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems"},"content":{"rendered":"

A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with \"A<\/a>Memory\u00a0<\/strong>Problems<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Many of us have laughed off a forgotten name or lost set of keys as a \u201csenior moment,\u201d but dementia and other conditions that affect memory are a serious problem among older adults. More than\u00a0five million American seniors have Alzheimer\u2019s<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong>\u00a0many spending their last months or years in a\u00a0specialized Alzheimer\u2019s community<\/strong><\/a>. A new startup,\u00a0Kernel, aims to help people with brain injuries, dementia, and other\u00a0memory\u00a0problems with a new\u00a0brain implant<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0made to help patients form, store, and access memories. The company is testing the implant in human patients now.<\/p>\n

How a brain implant may help boost memory<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kernel\u2019s device uses electricity to stimulate neurons in the part of the brain responsible for storing memories, the hippocampus. More than that, though, the implant uses a microprocessor like those found in computers to analyze incoming signals from neurons involved in learning and making new memories. That, developers hope, will aid in the creation of new memories in addition to preserving existing ones.<\/p>\n

The race to develop memory implants<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of brainpower working on memory implants. Ted Berger, who is a renowned University of Southern California neuroengineer, leads Kernel\u2019s team of scientists and researchers. The startup\u2019s advisory board includes genome research pioneer Craig Venter and USC neurosurgeon and epilepsy specialist Charles Liu, and Kernel is actively seeking the brightest minds in the field.<\/p>\n

The Kernel team isn\u2019t the only group doing\u00a0memory-implant research<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and development. DARPA, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has been working on an accelerated timeline to have a \u201cwireless, fully implantable neural-interface medical device for human clinical use\u201d by 2018. Its focus is on helping\u00a0soldiers and veterans who\u2019ve suffered concussions and other brain trauma.<\/p>\n

Millions of people in the US and more abroad could benefit if these projects succeed. In addition to the millions of seniors with dementia, memory-boosting brain implants could help victims of stroke, concussion, traumatic brain injury, and other types of memory problems.<\/p>\n

Brain implants for other medical conditions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Right now, Kernel is testing its implants in volunteers who are already undergoing brain procedures as part of their epilepsy treatment. A different implant that stops or greatly reduces seizures in\u00a0people with epilepsy<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0was first used in 2013 at USC after seven years of research and trials. Meanwhile, IBM announced this year that it\u2019s developing a computing tool to\u00a0predict and prevent seizures<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Another type of brain-implant treatment,\u00a0deep brain stimulation<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(DBS), is available to some patients with Parkinson\u2019s and essential tremor. A neurostimulator, described as a \u201cpacemaker for the brain,\u201d blocks the nerve impulses that cause uncontrollable shaking in these patients.<\/p>\n

Right now, DBS and seizure-prevention implants are only available to people whose symptoms don\u2019t respond to medication. If Kernel and DARPA\u2019s memory implants do well in human trials, they could help millions of people for whom no medication is truly effective. These devices could be a lifeline for millions of seniors and their caregivers who struggle with the practical and emotional fallout from memory loss every day.<\/p>\n

Learn more about\u00a0dementia<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Alzheimer\u2019s care<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0at SeniorAdvisor.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory\u00a0Problems Many of us have laughed off a forgotten name or lost set of keys as a \u201csenior moment,\u201d but dementia and other conditions that affect memory are a serious problem among older adults. More than\u00a0five million American seniors have Alzheimer\u2019s,\u00a0many spending their last months or years in a\u00a0specialized Alzheimer\u2019s community. A new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2198,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[200,35],"tags":[330,125,45],"class_list":{"0":"post-10597","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-families-caregivers","7":"category-senior-health-fitness","8":"tag-alzheimers-care-2","9":"tag-dementia-care","10":"tag-senior-health"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems. Kernel aims to help people with dementia, and other\u00a0memory\u00a0problems with a new\u00a0brain implant\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems. Kernel aims to help people with dementia, and other\u00a0memory\u00a0problems with a new\u00a0brain implant\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SeniorAdvisor.com Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-11-10T16:03:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-10-13T23:18:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Casey Kelly-Barton\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Casey Kelly-Barton\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.prod.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/a-kernel-of-hope-for-people-with-memory-problems\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.prod.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/a-kernel-of-hope-for-people-with-memory-problems\/\",\"name\":\"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-10T16:03:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-10-13T23:18:04+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a97863c1f6d466031974be45ce9c8e08\"},\"description\":\"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems. Kernel aims to help people with dementia, and other\u00a0memory\u00a0problems with a new\u00a0brain implant\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.prod.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/a-kernel-of-hope-for-people-with-memory-problems\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.prod.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/a-kernel-of-hope-for-people-with-memory-problems\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.prod.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/a-kernel-of-hope-for-people-with-memory-problems\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"SeniorAdvisor.com Blog\",\"description\":\"Empowering Families in their Search for Care\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a97863c1f6d466031974be45ce9c8e08\",\"name\":\"Casey Kelly-Barton\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/65d330a9fbb7308264432649d5324f2b?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/65d330a9fbb7308264432649d5324f2b?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Casey Kelly-Barton\"},\"description\":\"Casey Kelly-Barton is an Austin-based freelance writer whose childhood was made awesome by her grandmothers, great-grandmother, great-aunts and -uncles, and their friends.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/author\/caseykb\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog","description":"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems. Kernel aims to help people with dementia, and other\u00a0memory\u00a0problems with a new\u00a0brain implant","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog","og_description":"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems. Kernel aims to help people with dementia, and other\u00a0memory\u00a0problems with a new\u00a0brain implant","og_site_name":"SeniorAdvisor.com Blog","article_published_time":"2016-11-10T16:03:29+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-10-13T23:18:04+00:00","author":"Casey Kelly-Barton","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Casey Kelly-Barton","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.prod.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/a-kernel-of-hope-for-people-with-memory-problems\/","url":"https:\/\/www.prod.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/a-kernel-of-hope-for-people-with-memory-problems\/","name":"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2016-11-10T16:03:29+00:00","dateModified":"2020-10-13T23:18:04+00:00","author":{"@id":"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a97863c1f6d466031974be45ce9c8e08"},"description":"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems. Kernel aims to help people with dementia, and other\u00a0memory\u00a0problems with a new\u00a0brain implant","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.prod.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/a-kernel-of-hope-for-people-with-memory-problems\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.prod.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/a-kernel-of-hope-for-people-with-memory-problems\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.prod.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/a-kernel-of-hope-for-people-with-memory-problems\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A \u2018Kernel\u2019 of Hope for People with Memory Problems"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/#website","url":"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/","name":"SeniorAdvisor.com Blog","description":"Empowering Families in their Search for Care","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a97863c1f6d466031974be45ce9c8e08","name":"Casey Kelly-Barton","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/10.40.48.3\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/65d330a9fbb7308264432649d5324f2b?s=96&d=mm&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/65d330a9fbb7308264432649d5324f2b?s=96&d=mm&r=pg","caption":"Casey Kelly-Barton"},"description":"Casey Kelly-Barton is an Austin-based freelance writer whose childhood was made awesome by her grandmothers, great-grandmother, great-aunts and -uncles, and their friends.","url":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/author\/caseykb\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10597"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2198"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10597"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10597\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15267,"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10597\/revisions\/15267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}