Epilepsy Drug Reverses Memory Loss in Animal Model of Alzheimer's Disease, Gladstone Institute Study

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 August 6 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.