Scientists have found a compelling clue to the causes of age-related memory problems, according to a report released on Wednesday.
The report offered evidence that age-related memory loss is a form of pre-Alzheimer's condition. The study also pointed out that forgetfulness due to old age may actually be treatable.
The researchers at Columbia University Medical Center examined the brains of old and young people who died without any signs of neurologic disease.
The said brains used in the experiment were donated for the purpose of the study.
The researchers discovered that a certain gene in a part of the hippocampus - the brain's memory center, fails to work properly among older people.
The other section of the brain called the dentate gyrus has been suspected to be vulnerable to aging.
The study authors also found out that having less RbAp48, a certain type of protein, may indeed result to memory loss among older adults.
"It's the best evidence so far that age-related memory loss isn't the same as early Alzheimer's," said Nobel laureate Dr. Eric Kandel, lead author of the Columbia University team.
Dr. Kandel also highlighted a bigger question saying, "some people make it to 100 without showing much of a cognitive slowdown, thus, is that normal aging, or is it a deterioration that we're allowing to occur?"
"As we want to live longer and stay engaged in a cognitively complex world, I think even mild age-related memory decline is meaningful", said Columbia neurologist Dr. Scott Small.
