Gladstone Scientists Discover that Epilepsy Drug Reverses Memory Loss in
Animal Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—August 6, 2012— Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes
have discovered that an FDA-approved anti-epileptic drug reverses memory loss
and alleviates other Alzheimer’s-related impairments in an animal model of the
disease.
Scientists in the laboratory of Lennart Mucke, MD, who directs
neurological research at Gladstone, conducted the research on mice genetically
modified to simulate key aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. In the study, they
show how levetiracetam—a drug commonly prescribed for patients who suffer from
epilepsy—suppresses abnormal brain activity and restores memory function in
these mice. They are publishing their findings online today in the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences.
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