Study identifies how the brain links memories

Pixabay/Gerd Altmann - Our brains rarely record single memories. Instead, they store memories in groups so that the recollection of one significant memory triggers the recall of others that are connected chronologically. As we age, however, our brains gradually lose this ability to link related memories. Now, UCLA researchers have discovered a key molecular mechanism behind this memory linking. They've also identified a way to restore this brain function genetically in aging mice — and an FDA-approved drug that achieves the same thing. Published today , the findings suggest a new method for strengthening human memory in middle age and a possible early intervention for dementia. "Our memories are a huge part of who we are," said Alcino Silva, an author of the research and a distinguished professor of neurobiology and psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.