X-Message-Number: 14930 Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 23:32:28 -0800 From: Bryan Hall <> Subject: News of a breakthrough with memory loss Scientists working in London say they have discovered why memories fade with age in a breakthrough that could one day see the old regaining the brainpower of their youth. Wednesday's report in New Scientist magazine said that tests on elderly, genetically modified mice found they did just as well in learning and memory tests as young, normal mice. The international team of scientists from University College London led by Karl Peter Giese is trying to develop drugs that mimic the effects of the genetic mutation, and that may restore old people's ability to recall and learn, the report said. Scientists say that nerve cells in the hippocampus, a brain structure that plays a key role in learning and memory, take time to recover after functioning before they can fire again. This recovery period is thought to get longer with age, the report said. The genetic modification successfully reduced the recovery period, reversing the effects of memory loss. Researchers said the evidence collected so far suggested the drugs could only be used to treat the loss of mental abilities, not to prevent brainpower going in the first place. The article in New Scientist can be found at: http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns226524 -Bryan Hall Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=14930