Memory that links multiple pieces of information in a personal interaction is called social associative memory. One enzyme required in the brain responsible for memory involved in life experiences is called PDE11A memory enzyme. The researchers used mice as experimental subjects. As shown in the figure above, the green part represents the distribution of PDE11A memory enzyme in the mouse brain.
They found that levels of PDE11A in the mouse brains increased with age, particularly in the brain region responsible for many types of learning and memory, the familiar hippocampus. This additional PDE11A memory enzyme in the hippocampus is not only frequently distributed in fixed regions of the young mouse brain, but also preferentially accumulates as small filaments in the compartments of neurons.
Memory problems caused by aging are not the same as problems caused by diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. Currently, there are no drugs that can prevent or reverse cognitive decline due to aging. “Our goal was to find a way to specifically target the bad forms of the PDE11A memory enzyme so as not to interfere with the normal healthy function of the enzyme,” said the researchers. “We are still at the tip of the iceberg in understanding how the brain ages, so building on this Research is critical to help us learn more and ultimately find ways to prevent cognitive decline.
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