Memory News Digest

A study involving nearly 3000 older adults has found that training in cognitive skills can improve performance in those skills, and the effects can last for five years. Training in improving speed of processing and training in reasoning skills were more successful than training in memory skills. The participants also reported less difficulty than the control group in tasks such as preparing meals, managing money and doing housework, but only the effect of reasoning training was statistically significant.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#training

Memory improves after sleep apnea therapy

A study of 58 memory-impaired patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has found that those who used continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines for an average of more than 6 hours a night were much more likely to regain normal memory than those who used it fewer than 2 hours a night.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#apnea

Numbers, sequences pose problems for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome children

Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder were found to have specific deficits in memory for numbers and sequences.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#Alcohol

Pros and cons of therapy for lead exposure

Lead chelation therapy is increasingly being used for the treatment of autism in children, but a rat study has now found that, although the treatment can indeed significantly reduce learning problems that result from lead exposure, in the absence of moderate lead levels, the treatment produced such problems.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#lead

Virtual reality can improve memory, perhaps too much

People who learned about a camera’s functions through an interactive virtual rendition remembered its functions better than those who learned through text and static pictures, but were more likely to believe it could do things that it couldn't do.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#Virtual

Watching with intent to repeat ignites key learning area of brain

Observing an activity engaged the same brain regions involved in actually performing the motor sequence, but observing with the intention of later replicating the activity increased the degree of activity in those regions and the greater the activity in one of these regions, the better the actions were subsequently reproduced.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#intent

More on how memories are consolidated during sleep

A new study sheds more light on how memory is consolidated during sleep, and suggests the cerebral cortex actively controls the transfer of information with the hippocampus.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#consolidated

Still more on how memories are consolidated during sleep

A rat study shows the brain is replaying memory events in the visual cortex and in the hippocampus at the same time during sleep, which may contribute to or reflect the result of the memory consolidation process, and also sheds light on dreams.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#Still

More insight into why we forget

A new study supports the view that interference is far more important for forgetting than the traditional notion of decay over time, and sheds light on why we might forget more with age.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#forget

Why neurogenesis is so much less in older brains

A rat study has revealed that the aging brain produces progressively fewer new nerve cells in the hippocampus (neurogenesis) not because there are fewer of the immature cells (neural stem cells) that can give rise to new neurons, but because they divide much less often.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#neurogenesis

Longevity gene also helps retain cognitive function

A study of 158 people 95 years or older has found those who passed a common test of mental function were two to three times more likely to have a common variant of a gene associated with longevity (the CETP gene) than those who did not. This was even higher among those between 75 and 85 years old. The gene variant makes cholesterol particles in the blood larger than normal.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#gene

New brain region associated with face recognition

Using a new technique, researchers have found evidence for neurons that are selectively tuned for gender, ethnicity and identity cues in the cingulate gyrus, a brain area not previously associated with face processing.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#face

Neurons targeted by dementing illness may have evolved for complex social cognition

Special elongated nerve cells known as Von Economo neurons (VENs), are found in two parts of the cerebral cortex known to be associated with social behavior, consciousness, and emotion, and have only been found in humans and great apes, and whales. A new study has found that among those with frontotemporal dementia, the anterior cingulate had a dramatic reduction in the number of VENs compared to controls. This type of dementia is characterized by a loss of inhibition in social situations. Alzheimer's patients had only a small and statistically insignificant reduction.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#social

Oxytocin may help treat two core autism symptoms

In a pilot study, researchers have found administration of oxytocin has beneficial effects on repetitive behaviors and aspects of social cognition in high-functioning autistic adults.

http://www.memory-key.com/news/2006/news_2006Dec.htm#autism

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ALZHEIMER'S NEWS

<http://www.memory-key.com/Seniors/Alzheimers%20news.htm>

December 2006

<http://www.memory-key.com/Seniors/Alzheimers_2006b.htm>

New way to target Alzheimer's disease

In a series of studies in transgenic mice, a synthetic peptide designed to block the interaction between apolipoprotein E and amyloid-beta protein reduced the aggregation of toxic amyloid protein in the brain by around 50%. The treated mice showed no memory decline.

http://www.memory-key.com/Seniors/Alzheimers_2006b.htm#target

Androgen therapy may slow progress of Alzheimer's disease

Recent studies have suggested a link between testosterone loss in men and Alzheimer’s. A mouse study has now found that androgen therapy was successful in preventing beta-amyloid accumulation and cognitive decline in castrated mice.

http://www.memory-key.com/Seniors/Alzheimers_2006b.htm#Androgen

Compound shows promise for early detection of Alzheimer's disease

A new molecular marker called FDDNP has been found to track the progression of Alzheimer’s in PET scans more effectively than other markers, giving hope of earlier, more accurate diagnosis of the disease.

http://www.memory-key.com/Seniors/Alzheimers_2006b.htm#Compound

Protein 'fingerprint' in spinal fluid could spot Alzheimer's disease early

In a pilot study, a panel of 23 protein biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid has been found to be over 90% sensitive in identifying people with Alzheimer's disease.

http://www.memory-key.com/Seniors/Alzheimers_2006b.htm#fingerprint

Hypertension drugs might help Alzheimer’s

Several drugs prescribed to treat hypertension have been identified as showing promise for also treating Alzheimer’s disease. One drug in particular was identified as effective in blocking the accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain and preventing the deterioration of cognitive performance: Propranololo-HCL (Inderal), a drug widely prescribed to treat high blood pressure in elderly patients. Of course, clinical trials will need to occur before this can be confirmed.

http://www.memory-key.com/Seniors/Alzheimers_2006b.htm#Hypertension

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