IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they've identified a protein that boosts memory, a finding that could be benefit people with cognitive disorders.
Researchers at the University of California, in collaboration with scientists at Germany's University of Munster, found that a small protein called neuropeptide S can strengthen and prolong memories of everything from negative events to simple objects, a UC Irvine release said Tuesday.
The discovery could provide important clues about how the brain stores memories and also lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other cognitive impairments, Rainer Reinscheid, a UC Irvine associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences, said.
"Additionally, it may help us better understand post-traumatic stress disorder, which involves exaggerated memories of traumatic events," he said.
In tests on mice, the researchers found that if neuropeptide S receptors in the brain were activated immediately after a learning experience, it could be recalled for much longer and with much greater intensity.
This memory enhancement lasted up to a week, Reinscheid said.
If, on the other hand, NPS receptor activation was disrupted, the mice didn't remember events as strongly, or sometime even at all, when tested just a day or two later.
