Newly discovered drug makes old memories come back.
An enzyme in the brain called PKMzeta helps maintain long term storage of memories in the brain. During testing, a group of neuroscientists found that boosting levels of the enzyme helped rats recall, in great detail, events they’d experienced many days beforehand. Lowering levels of the enzyme caused the rats to forget old memories more quickly. What’s remarkable about this discovery is that the enzyme can help the animals recall these old memories even if they weren’t boosting their levels of PKMzeta at the time the memories were formed.
If the same technique worked in humans, it could be a way to treat memory loss, particularly that caused by old age or disease.