Study shows that that pace at which a brain cell activates a key protein may influence its role in memory formation—a finding that could lead to new Alzheimer therapies
In the future, Josselyn says, this mechanism could be harnessed to produce a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease. "In time, we're going to have some sort of neuron-replacement therapy for Alzheimer's," she says, conceding, "It's a little sci-fi right now." But, if new neurons are inserted into a damaged brain, modulating CREB function could help bias the healing brain to use the functioning neurons and not its injured population.
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1 Comments
Add CommentDon't sacrifice the science to make a headline with a hook. You write yourself that "it is the same percentage [ie 20%], but not the same neurons..." So clearly, the brain uses more than 20% of its neurons, giving the lie to your title. Another assumption you're cheerfully allowing people to make is that this is in human brains, which of course were not studied.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlso, did the scientists study the % of neurons activated in CREB-normal mice? 20% might be the minimum necessary--which would be an interesting finding--but perhaps say, 30% is the normal level in normal animals? If this was studied, that should have been mentioned.
A non-misleading version of your current title would be "A mouse brain can get by with 20 percent of its memory-forming neurons", which is not very snappy. The title needs a totally different direction.
As a scientist myself I know you're fed a lot of hyperbole from abstracts, press releases, impact statements, quotes, the list goes on... Don't make it worse by adding your own.