An old drug called methylene blue is said to improve the brain activity of patients with cognitive impairment. A new study found that methylene blue, also known as methylthioninium chloride, can improve patients' short-term memory and attention.
Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center used a single dose of methylene blue or a placebo (an inactive treatment) on 13 healthy adults in a small clinical trial, according to the U.S. News & World Report. The participants were found to have better memory test performances after receiving methylene blue.
Methylene Blue's Potentials
According to the research team led by Dr. Timothy Duong, the participants of the study saw an increase in brain activity during their mental tasks after taking methylene blue. After administering methylene blue to the participants, the researchers saw a 7 percent surge in correct answers when it comes to retrieving memories. The study noted that methylene blue does this by regulating specific brain networks associated with emotional responses, memory and the ability to comprehend sensory and visual information.
Duong said methylene blue should still be tested further on individuals with memory problems and cognitive impairment. He also said that methylene blue doesn't carry plenty of repercussions, though some safety issues could surface if the drug gets used widely.
Duong pointed out that the drug is cheap and is being used safely to cure cyanide and carbon-monoxide poisoning in hospitals. Methylene blue is also used to treat chronic methemoglobinemia, a disorder that causes a patient's skin and blood to change colors.
Methylene Blue As Memory-Enhancer; Cure For Progeria?
Past studies conducted on animals in the 1970s have found that methylene blue is capable of improving long-term contextual memory, Wired reported. The drug is also connected with enhancing the "extinction" memory, a process that helps people recall something through song or smell.
Aside from brain activity, methylene blue is showing promising results in reversing progeria symptoms. Progeria is a rare genetic disease that speeds up the body's aging process, with majority of the patients unable to survive their teenage years and reach adulthood. Symptoms of the disease include hair loss, thin and wrinkled skin and fragile bones and joints even at a young age.
Researchers from the University of Maryland found that methylene blue can rescue progeria-affected structures within the cell, Tech Times reported. The drug can repair the age-related damages affecting both of the cell's mitochondria and nucleus.
