A drug to prevent the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease is a step closer after scientists discovered why people with dementia cannot form new memories.
It was previously thought that Alzheimer’s was primarily caused by the build-up of plaques in the brain that stop neurons from firing. But drugs to clear the plaques have so far failed to bring any improvement to sufferers.
Many scientists believe that the plaques trigger a “cascade effect” of other symptoms meaning that by the time they are spotted it is already too late.
Researchers at Penn State University have now discovered that the plaques may be triggering overproduction of a chemical – known as GABA neurotransmitter – that causes memory loss by preventing a key part of the brain from functioning. They believe a drug that deactivates the chemical could halt memory loss in sufferers.