Great News - Nerve cell stimulation 'may recall memories' in Alzheimer's patients

[malaise]

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/mar/16/nerve-cell-stimulation-recall-memories-alzheimers-patients
<snip>
Memories banished by Alzheimer’s can in theory be rescued by stimulating nerve cells to grow new connections, a study has shown.

The research, conducted in mice, raises the possibility of future treatments that reverse memory loss in early stages of the disease. Scientists used a technique called optogenetics, which uses light to activate cells tagged with a special photo-sensitive protein.

It was tested on mice with Alzheimer’s-like symptoms that quickly forgot the experience of receiving a mild electric shock to their feet. After tagged cells in their brains were stimulated with light, their memory returned and they displayed a fear response when placed in the chamber where the shock had been applied an hour earlier.

The optogenetic treatment helped the neurons re-grow small buds called dendritic spines, which form synaptic connections with other cells. Although the same technique cannot be used in humans, the research points the way to future memory-retrieving therapies, say the researchers.

Lead scientist Prof Susumu Tonegawa, from the Picower institute for learning and memory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, said: “The important point is, this a proof of concept. That is, even if a memory seems to be gone, it is still there. It’s a matter of how to retrieve it.”

[Jitter65]

1. Very interesting! Thanks. nt

[malaise]

2. You're welcome