UCLA study identifies how the brain links memories

Our brains rarely record single memories. Instead, they store memories in groups so that the recollection of one significant memory triggers the recall of others that are connected chronologically. As we age, however, our brains gradually lose this ability to link related memories.  Now, UCLA researchers have discovered a key molecular mechanism behind this memory linking. They ’ve also identified a way to restore this brain function genetically in aging mice — and an FDA-approved drug that achieves the same thing.  Published today in the journal Nature,  the findings suggest a new method for strengthening human memory in middle age and a possible early intervention for dementia.  “Our memories are a huge part of who we are,” said Alcino Silva, an author of the research and a distinguished professor of neurobiology and psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “The ability to link related experiences teaches us how to stay safe and operate successfully in the world.”A bit of Biology 101: Brain cells are studded with receptors. To enter a cell, a molecule must latch onto a specific receptor, which operates like a doorknob to provide access inside. The UCLA team focused on a gene that encodes a receptor for CCR5 molecules — the same receptor that HIV hitches a ride on to infect brain cells and cause memory loss in AIDS patients.As people age, the amount of CCR5 expressed in the brain rises, and, as Silva ’s lab has demonstrated in earli...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news