Scientists say chemical helps curb memory loss

UCI scientists have discovered a chemical compound that reverses memory loss in people with Huntington’s disease, university officials said.

Neurobiologists Gary Lynch, Danielle Simmons found that a mild ampakine treatment on mice produced dramatic amounts of the brain’s own chemicals that create and store memories.

The study reveals the potential of Lynche’s ampakine-base drugs, which are being used in Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials.

The chemical compound was originally created to combat Alzheimer’s disease, sleep disorders and other neurological ailments, school officials said.

UCI’s study about how the compound affects Huntington’s disease is available in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

— Joseph Serna