Hibernation Protein May Halt Alzheimer's

BarbaraHudson writes The BBC is reporting that tests show a protein called RBM3, involved in hibernation, may hold the key to regenerating synapses. In the early stages of Alzheimer's, and other neurodegenerative disorders, synapses are lost. This inevitably progresses to whole brain cells dying. But during hibernation, 20-30% of the connections in the brain — synapses — are culled as the body preserves resources over winter, and are reformed in the spring, with no loss of memory. Memories can be restored after hibernation as only the receiving end of the synapse shuts down. In a further set of tests, the team showed the brain cell deaths from prion disease and Alzheimer's could be prevented by artificially boosting RBM3 levels. Prof Mallucci was asked if memories could be restored in people if their synapses could be restored: "Absolutely, because a lot of memory decline is correlated with synapse loss, which is the early stage of dementia, so you might get back some of the synapse you've lost."

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Comments

Re:Memory

[Prune]

Memories are, indeed, tagged with an importance value — the value is represented in the brain as a feeling/emotion. This modulates the strength of the long term encoding of the memory. But unimportant memories don't get "cycled out" as you say. Memories are not stored independently of each other and room for new ones recovered by some mechanism that frees up storage space. Forgetting is caused by a combination of interference from the storage of new memories and decay (two processes proposed independently but with evidence for both). This very much makes sense when considering that memories are stored through synaptic plasticity in the same neural network, which, upon triggering by the right stimulus for recall, recreates an activation pattern in other parts of the brain, including the consciously accessible image-making ones (one proposal for how the latter is accomplished, with some neurological evidence for it, is http://www.cell.com/trends/neu... ).

Re:Memory

[Udom]

"Disease" is an unfortunate label because it implies a pathogen and there is none for Alzheimers. The term "Alzheimers" is simply a convenient catch-all term for a class of symptoms. One reason memory doesn't "fill up" is that unimportant memories are routinely deleted. Most of us don't remember the names of all of our Grade 1 classmates, for example. So the best place to look for causes is whatever is considered important for the sufferer. For (most) women the most important connection in life is children and grandchildren. Yet we push the elderly off into isolation and offer them daytime TV as a substitute. For them, it's isolation from family that causes their descent. To assume that this situation can be addressed with a wonder drug is incredibly foolish... I read of a young missionary girl who went off to Africa to teach children. After introductions she asked if anyone had any questions. One girl asked, "Is it true that in your country you send old people off to live alone?"

Re:Memory

[BarbaraHudson]

I think you have cause and effect reversed - mostly people (of all ages) are put in homes because they already require 24-hour supervision and care. If they can't get dressed, go to the bathroom, make their own food, know approximately what time of day, day of the week, and month of the year, and they show increasing bouts of rage, they're a danger to both themselves and those around them. Try taking care of someone and having them accuse you of all sorts of ridiculous stuff, like stealing stuff that a quick search shows they misplaced, or taking a harmless remark or action and twisting it around when they retell it to the whole family. Taking care of someone by yourself under those conditions is hazardous just from a legal perspective.

Also, I would question whether "unimportant memories are routinely deleted." How many times have you forgotten things like passwords, birthdays, where you left your smartphone, wallet, purse, or keys, your own phone number, and yet can clearly recall the punchline of really stupid jokes?