Science News Archive

Good Memory in The Genes

If you're like me, and have a terrible memory, then at last we may have an excuse and can blame it on our genes. Scientists in the US have identified a gene responsible for human memory, after studying more than a hundred people in Switzerland and Arizona. After scanning 500,000 genetic markers in all the individuals, they found that variations in the Kibra gene are associated with memory. People who have a certain version of Kibra have to tax their brains harder to recall the same amount of information than people who have a different version of the gene. The team also found that Kibra is active in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is very important for memory. This discovery could lead to new drugs to improve memory, and may help people with memory loss disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

21st Oct 2006