Ambien may improve Memory loss

Thought this was an interesting read in regards to the prescription drug of Ambien and how it may improve memory loss.

People who take Ambien to combat insomnia may get more than a good night’s sleep. They might be a tad sharper than usual the next day, according to a new study.

The study found that taking the sleeping pill enhances the brain’s ability to consolidate memories, or move information from short-term to long-term storage. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, also has confirmed the mechanism that allows the brain to lay down memories. 

The researchers hope this discovery will lead to new therapies that will improve memory for aging adults and those with dementia, Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia.

Prior research has found so-called “sleep spindles,” bursts of brain activity that occur during a certain phase of sleep, play an important role in creating and solidifying memories. 

“Sleep spindles are engaged in moving the information that’s in short term memory into long term memory,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Sara C. Mednick, assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside. But in older adults, these spindles show a significant reduction in number and density compared with younger adults. That may be one factor contributing to forgetfulness and possibly dementia as we age.

In the study, 49 healthy sleepers under the age of 40 were given varying doses of zolpidem (Ambien) or sodium oxybate (Xyrem), and a placebo, allowing several days between medications and doses to allow the drugs to leave their bodies.

Ambien is known to increase spindle activity, while Xyrem is known to decrease it. Researchers monitored their sleep, measured sleepiness and mood, and gave the subjects several memory tests.

In one of the tests, a verbal memory test, subjects were shown pairs of words and later were shown one word from the pair and asked to recall the other. 

“The verbal test reflects any kind of memory of associated things you consciously try to remember, like remembering someone’s face with their name, or a phone number and an address,” .Mednick said.

The study found increased sleep spindles associated with the Ambien use. It also found that when subjects took Ambien, they scored better on this verbal memory test. 

“We demonstrated we could increase sleep spindles with Ambien and that we could increase memory with Ambien,” Mednick said.

She and her co-authors are not recommending people take Ambien to improve their memories, because the drug does come with side effects and other issues. 

But the study is a first step towards finding a treatment for memory disorders. “Sleep should be something we think about in terms of treatment strategies for people with memory impairment,” she said. “This could lead to the development of pharmaceutical agents that have the effect on sleep spindles but don’t have the negative effects of Ambien."

Information on Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease 

Background

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain from which there is no recovery. The disease slowly attacks nerve cells in all parts of the cortex of the brain and some surrounding structures, thereby impairing a person's abilities to govern emotions, recognize errors and patterns, coordinate movement, and remember. Ultimately, a person with AD loses all memory and mental functioning.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in people age 65 years and older. Dementia is significant loss of cognitive functions such as memory, judgment, attention, and abstract thinking.

There are three brain abnormalities that are the hallmarks of the Alzheimer’s disease process:

• Plaques. A protein called beta-amyloid accumulates and forms sticky clumps of amyloid plaque between nerve cells (neurons). High levels of beta amyloid as associated with reduced levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. (Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the brain.) Acetylcholine is part of the cholinergic system, which is essential for memory and learning and is progressively destroyed in Alzheimer’s disease.
• Tangles. Neurofibrillary tangles are the damaged remains of macrotubules, the support structure that allows the flow of nutrients through the neurons. A key feature of these tangled fibers is an abnormal form of the tau protein, which in its normal version helps maintain healthy neurons.
• Loss of nerve cell connections. The tangles and plaques cause neurons to lose their connection to one another and die off. As the neurons die, brain tissue shrinks (atrophies).

The major areas of the brain have one or more specific functions.

Causes

Scientists do not know what causes Alzheimer’s disease. It may be a combination of various genetic and environmental factors that trigger the process in which brain nerve cells are destroyed.

GENETIC FACTORS

Genetics certainly plays a role in early-onset Alzheimer's, a rare form of the disease that usually runs in families. Scientists are also investigating genetic targets for late-onset Alzheimer's, which is the more common form. At this time, only one gene, apolipoprotein E (ApoE) has been definitively linked to late-onset Alzheimer's disease. However, only a small percentage of people carry the form of ApoE that increases the risk of late-onset Alzheimer's. Other genes or combinations of genes may be involved.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

Researchers have investigated various environmental factors that may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease or that trigger the disease process in people who have a genetic susceptibility. Some studies have suggested an association between serious head injuries in early adulthood and Alzheimer’s development. Lower educational level, which may decrease mental and activity and neuron stimulation, has also been investigated. To date, there does not appear to be any evidence that infections, metals, or industrial toxins cause Alzheimer’s disease.

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