Researcher have found a way to improve the memory. Image: Shutterstock
Treatment with IGF-II could significantly improve memory.
Rats learn quicker and remember the new knowledge longer if the a protein called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-II) is injected into their brains after they discover how to avoid a shock to their feet. After observing that IGF-II levels were naturally boosted by learning, Cristina Alberini, professor of Neuroscience, and colleagues from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, US, have tested the proteine’s effect on rats’ memories by inhibiting the creation of IGF-II. The genetically engineered rats were unable to learn how to avoid being shocked. In another experiment, Alberini injected a dose of the protein into the hippocampus of rats’ brains. If injected within 24 hours of the foot shock, the elevated level of the proteine helped the rats remember the new information. The experiments show that IGF-II injections in the brain strengthen the memory. Alberini thinks that, in the future, IGF-II can be used as a treatment for such cognitive impairments as dementia, Alzheimer’s or amnesia.
