Old Drug Boosts Brain's Memory Centers

Old Drug Boosts Brain's Memory Centers

But more research needed before recommending methylene blue to those with memory loss, scientist says

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Amy Norton

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, June 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- A long-used drug called methylene blue may rev up activity in brain regions involved in short-term memory and attention, a small study suggests.

Methylene blue has been used in medicine for more than a century, said Timothy Duong, the senior researcher on the study and a professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

These days, he said, it's used to manage a condition called methemoglobinemia, where the blood cannot deliver enough oxygen to the body's tissues. It's also used to treat poisoning by cyanide or carbon monoxide.

But evidence dating back to the 1970s suggests the drug may also enhance memory, in animals and humans, Duong said.

In the new study, his team found that a single dose of methylene blue improved memory test performances by 13 healthy adults in a small, placebo-based clinical trial. Based on MRI brain scans, the medication worked by stimulating brain structures involved in processing memories as well as visual and sensory information.

Methylene blue is readily available and cheap, Duong said. But at this point no one is suggesting it's ready to be used for preventing or treating memory decline.

"Clearly, this is early research," said Dr. Ezriel Kornel, an assistant clinical professor of neurological surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

For one, it's not known whether the drug's effects diminish over repeated doses, said Kornel, who wasn't involved in the study. What's more, he said, the study included only people with intact memories and not those with impairments.

Still, Kornel called the findings "fascinating." He said larger, longer-term studies should dig deeper into the drug's potential.

According to Duong, methylene blue acts as "an antioxidant and an energy enhancer." In simple terms, it can allow brain cells to receive more energy.

While there was already evidence that methylene blue can boost short-term memory, Duong said his team wanted to know how the drug affects the brain.

To do that, the researchers used functional MRI, which tracks blood flow in the brain as a person performs mental tasks.

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