A recent study published Sunday in the British journal Nature found that mice with a similar condition to Alzheimer's were able to regain memories of tasks they had previously been taught with the help of two methods; brain stimulation and drugs.
The study, which was carried out by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), found genetically engineered mice in which a protein linked to degenerative brain disease could be triggered successfully performed tasks they had earlier "forgotten" after a period of rehabilitation through mental stimulation.
The damage was inflicted in the mice through the specific neural networks in the brain and the scientists achieved the same regenerative results through a drug treatment.
According to report lead author Li-Huei Tsai, who conducted the study with four colleagues, it is yet to be determined if the same techniques would work in humans but scientists are optimistic at the possibility of recovering long-term memories in patients whose brains suffered certain neurological disorders.
According the BBC, the researchers also tested a class of drugs called histone deacetylase, or HDAC, inhibitors on the mice that seemed to improve memory and learning, similar to improvements made by environmental stimulation.
The new study provides hope to people with degenerative brain diseases, as in many cases it was seen that the memories were not erased from the brain, but rather could not be accessed because of the disease.
