BOSTON: Medical researchers have uncovered a fundamental mechanism that explains the interaction between brain state and the neural triggers responsible for learning. The discoveries, made by researchers in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly & Co, could lead to new ways of boosting cognitive function to counteract the effects of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, as well as enhancing memory in healthy people.
The findings identify fundamental processes occurring at the microscopic connections between nerve cells, which involve an exquisite regulation of calcium ions by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
This neurotransmitter is released in the brain during learning and is critical for the acquisition of new memories. Currently, the only effective treatment for the symptoms of cognitive or memory impairment seen in diseases such as Alzheimer’s is through the use of drugs that boost the amount of acetylcholine release.