Enhancement of memory with human ventrolateral thalamic stimulation: effect evident on a dichotic listening task.

Previous experience with left ventrolateral thalamic (VL) stimulation during visually presented language and verbal memory tasks has shown that stimulation at the time information enters memory increases the accuracy of subsequent recall. The present study investigated the effects of VL stimulation on an auditory dichotic listening task. A similar effect was identified with significantly more words presented during left VL stimulation subsequently correctly reported, compared to words presented in the absence of stimulation, or with right VL stimulation. No significant effects on the ratios of correct responses from opposite ears were observed.